Description
It is hard to believe that a precious evergreen on the streetscape of Dublin is gone forever. It was part of Dublin city in the rare ould times. Gone to the graveyard of the great buildings which were part of the fabric of our fair city. It once stood proudly beside The GPO on Dublin's O'Connell street. The hotel was completely destroyed in the Easter Rising of 1916.
It was rebuilt as the Metropole Cinema & Restaurant which became one of the most fashionable venues in Dublin. Designed by Aubrey V. O’Rourke, it was in keeping with the stripped classical aesthetic used for much of the rebuilding of O’Connell Street. In addition to a magnificent auditorium, it had a ballroom, shops and a popular restaurant. It was a great feature of Dublin life until it closed in 1972. The building was sold to British Home Stores, together with its neighbour, the Capitol Cinema on North Prince’s Street. BHS demolished both cinemas and built a new department store on the site. The site is now occupied by a Penneys department store.
Dimensions: 16” X 10” approx.