James Joyce opened Dublin’s first cinema on Mary Street in 1909 – the enterprise failed and Joyce left Ireland, never to return. One hundred years on, the cinema scene in Dublin is dominated by multiplexes showing Hollywood movies. In the city centre, the Savoy on O’Connell St is Dublin’s best known cinema and boasts Ireland’s biggest screen. On Parnell St, Cineworld is Ireland’s largest cinema. Average prices to catch a movie in Dublin are €9.50 for adults (€7 for the matinee show), and €6 for children, pensioners and students. The Cineworld Unlimited Card is perfect for cinema buffs: €17.50 a month gets you unlimited access to any of their cinemas in the UK and Ireland (www.cineworld.ie). Most of the suburban cinemas are located in shopping centres. Vue in Liffey Valley is particularly popular due to its extra comfortable seats and large screens. The UCI in Tallaght (www.uci.ie) runs a Kid’s Club on weekend mornings and during school holidays – admission costs €3 per child and is free for accompanying adults. The MoviesCinema chain with branches in Dundrum and Swords have ‘Reel Parents’ mornings that welcome adults with babies and young children into their cinemas to catch the latest blockbuster. Admission costs €7 and baby-changing facilities are available. Check out their website for current listings (www.movies-at.ie/reelparents.tpl).

There are a couple of independent cinemas, such as The Screen on D’olier St and the Irish Film Institute in Temple Bar, which show a more offbeat selection and more foreign language options. The Irish Film Institute runs a large number of events throughout the year. Examples include a French Film Festival, an Italian Film Festival, a Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, as well as retrospectives of the works of cinema greats and educational talks. The Irish Film Institute’s film shop is stocked with hard-to-find books and DVDs. There is also a bar and restaurant that attract an arty crowd. To support the Irish Film Institute’s work, consider purchasing yearly membership (€20).