- The Cinema House
- (aka
Slaters Cinema)
-
- Burrin Street Fire's!
|
Early on Tuesday, 27th December
1937 the electric fire siren summoned the reformed Fire Brigade. A
building in Burrin Street was on fire. When it was discovered that
there was not enough hose, more hose had to be borrowed from the
Sugar Factory, thus the adjoining garage and Mill and Bridewell Lane
were saved.
The burning building was the
cinema which was erected in 1913 by the firm of Fred Thompson on the
site of the 1906 great fire of Boakes Drapery shop. In 1931 the
cinema was acquired by my grandmother's brother, Frank Slater. He
refurbished the cinema and claimed it was the most up-to-date cinema
in Ireland. The last film screened contained a forest fire scene,
some locals believed this had caused the fire. In fact the fire had
been started deliberately by a former employee. Unfortunately for
the Slater family the building was not insured. In later years local
publicans would recall that business was very brisk on the morning
of the fire as firemen from all over the country and people living
in the locality came knocking on the pub doors seeking some respite
from the event. Jimmy Kelly remembered that it was lucky the
publicans had bought in large stocks of drink for the Christmas and
New Year celebrations, "there was not a drop left in stock the
following day". Jimmy would recall.
In 1967 Carlow's "new
post office" was erected on this site. Pictures of the cinema and
the aftermath of Boake's fire are on pages 52 and 53 in "Carlow in
old picture postcards" published in 1994 and page 63 on the second
volume of same title, published in 1999.
This
very special photo was given to me (Michael Purcell) by Godfrey R
McDonald of Dublin Street. Godfrey recognized the importance of the
photo when he studied picture number 52 in my Volume 1 of Carlow in
old picture postcards' by Michael Purcell. The picture was
photographed from alongside the Deighton Hall on Tuesday, 7th
October 1906 following the Burrin Street fire. Members of the
volunteer fire brigade Dick Rogers and Pat O'Toole stand centre
picture with shovels in hand; also looking towards the camera is the
man who it is thought deliberately started the fire. Note the fire
hose box to the right. Carlow post office stands on the site today.
This is the site of Carlow Post Office
today..
Early on Monday, 6th October 1906 the church bells of St. Mary's
summoned the Volunteer Fire Brigade. Boake's Wollen Hall and Misses
Bayley's stationery shop in Burrin Street were on fire. When it was
discovered that there was no water in the hydrants, the brigade pump was
connected to the river Burrin, thus, Slater's chemist, Kelly's Mill and
Bridewell Lane were saved. In this photo a lady passes by the hoarding
erected at the site which was smouldering for six days. No. 69 is Dr.
Slater's, he dispensed 'cures' claiming he added, 'aqua pura', from a
spring in his yard to all his medicines, he tasted every prescription
and as a result his tongue had shrivelled. In 1906 his apprentice
Charlie Johnson ran the chemist business. No. 68 is what remains of
Misses Bayley's, the large building Kelly's Mill was adjacent to the
river Burrin. As a result of the fire all the buildings pictured above
were demolished. In 1914 a cinema and a garage were erected on this
site.
Slaters Cinema House on Burrin Street c1915.
Built by Fred Thompson around
1915. Unfortunately this cinema was burnt to the ground. The site is
now occupied by the Post Office.
Source: Mrs Annie
Parker-Byrne CARLOVIANA 2005
- The film showing at the time this
photo was taken was "The Mystery of the Seven Chests" Made
in 1914
- Directed by E.A. Martin and starring
Edwin Wallock Adda Gleason ... Rose Lillie Hayward ... Cleo (as
Lillian Hayward) William Stowell, Cecil Holland, William
Hutchinson (as William P. Hutchinson)
Source: IMDb
database
- The Cinema in Carlow
c1915 - Newspaper article.
"We are pleased to note the continued and
well-deserved success of the Burrin Street Cinema House and congratulate
all concerned - and incidentally the efficient manager, Mr Hayward - on
the programmes submitted and the excellent carrying out of the
arrangements. Last weeks films were particularly attractive, and the
pictures to be shown next week will, we understand, be of exceptional
interest to lovers of the Cinema."
- Courtesy of Carloman
Portion
of Burrin Street - on the right Foyle's library sign marks the
entrance to O'Neill's newsagents, next door is Watchorn's fruit and
vegetable shop. Left of the picture we see Gillespie's shop having
extended their premises to incorporate Gaffney's shop, the Irish
Transport and General Workers Union (I.T.G.WU.) headquarters is next
door, the next two shops are Quinn's grocery, provision and
confectionery shop. The open space seen on the left is where the new
post office would be built.
Source: The images
on this page were previously appeared in Carlow in old postcards
Vol. 2 / Vol. 3 & Carlow in Old Picture Postcards by Michael
Purcell. (1994/99 & 2000)
NEXT:
BROWN STREET
