Survey Data

Reg No

20514216


Rating

Regional


Categories of Special Interest

Architectural, Artistic, Historical, Social


Original Use

Assembly rooms


Historical Use

Cinema


In Use As

Restaurant


Date

1860 - 1865


Coordinates

167610, 71629


Date Recorded

20/07/2002


Date Updated

--/--/--


Description

Terraced two-bay two-storey assembly rooms, opened 1861. Roof not visible for inspection. Richly decorated double-arched façade, having highly decorated carved limestone balustrade to parapet, yellow brick façade with limestone banding and rich carved foliate decoration, plinth band with limestone dressings, paterae to ground and first floors with carved heads or floral motifs, cast iron lettering fixed below parapet, round headed arches with alternating brick and limestone voussoirs and limestone hood mouldings, retaining pair of entrance openings to ground floor with wrought iron fanlights and timber panelled double leaf doors, and timber sliding sash windows flanked by polished marble colonettes; street frontage.

Appraisal

"The Assembly Rooms", designed by Richard Rolt Brash and originally known as "The Protestant Hall", hosted well known opera companies and orators of the day. The first demonstration of "moving pictures" in Cork was given here in 1896 and in 1911 it was adapted as a cinema known colloquially as "The Assems". it ceased showing films in 1964 and has had many uses since then. It remains significant for its beautiful façade retaining much original fabric.