The Light House is one of Dublin’s premier art-house cinemas. Located in Smithfield, it is well worth venturing over to the Northside for. The new Luas line takes you from College all the way there, providing a hassle-free experience. Break away from the Irish Film Institute (IFI) and enjoy some cold ones with the boys – the cinema edition.
The Light House is owned by Element Pictures, which is run by Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe. Guiney is a former Trinity student who started his film career after he graduated. While in College, he set up the Trinity Video Company with his friend and fellow student, the acclaimed director Lenny Abrahamson. As one of Dublin’s most vibrant cultural spaces, the Light House boasts 614 seats across four screens and includes a cafe and subterranean bar built into the framework of an underground car park.
It has earned a reputation as one of the best cinemas in Ireland, with accolades from the likes of the Guardian Film Awards and art guide Artinfino. This year, the Light House will play host to some of Ireland’s most prestigious annual film festivals including the AUDI Dublin International Film festival, The Gaze Film Festival and the Japanese Film Festival.
Their schedule is jam-packed with the latest and greatest feature films, shorts, classics, foreign language and animated films, feature-length documentaries with a few throwbacks and special events thrown into the mix. As a member of their reward system, I’ve earned a few free viewings in my time. The best part is yet to come: the Light House lets you enjoy craft beers, wine and cocktails from their bar during the film screening. You can sit back, relax and enjoy the movie with a tasty concoction by your side.
One of my favourite evenings spent in this special spot was a Scarface screening where everyone dressed up in Miami florals and drank the themed cocktails on offer. Not only is the Light House a fantastic cinema, it is also the second contender in the Smithfield trifecta that is My Meat Wagon and Oscar’s bar.
As the saying goes, good things come in threes and in this case they’re not wrong. Start your night off with a meat lovers dream, apologies to the vegetarians, as My Meat Wagon offers tasty and affordable food with seriously generous portions. Continue opposite to the Light House and grab a beer before enjoying a screening of some of the most talked about films of the year. Then finish your night off at Oscar’s bar with some ridiculously well-priced €5 G&T’s. Like the sound of this? Call me.
