Awaiting decisionNew dwelling

The Old Cinema at Lower Main Street, Rathkeale, Co. Limerick

Demolition of a cinema auditorium to build two Art Deco style homes, retaining the protected facade.

24111 · Limerick County Council · Lodged 26 March 2024

Reference: 24111
Authority: Limerick County Council
Register status: Withdrawn
Type: PERMISSION
Received: 26 March 2024
Residential units: 2
Floor area: 321 m²

Summary

AI-generated

The project involves the demolition of a disused cinema auditorium while retaining its protected Art Deco front facade, lobby, and projection room. The retained structure will be extended to form a two-storey, four-bedroom home, and a second detached Art Deco style home will be built to the rear.

New dwellingcinemaart decoprotected structuredemolition

Storeys: 2

Generated from the description above by an AI model and may contain mistakes. The council’s description is the authoritative record.

Official record

Development description

The demolition of the corrugated iron covered barrel roofed auditorium that has fallen into disrepair and the retention of part of the protected structure including the art deco front façade along with the ground floor lobby and first floor projection room and ancillary spaces. It is proposed to extend the partly retained 2 storey structure to form a new 2 storey, 4 bedroom dwelling with rear private garden and erect an additional 2 storey, 4 bedroom detached dwelling located to the rear of the existing cinema, also designed in the art deco style. The layout has been sympathetically designed to incorporate the existing features into the front elevation, retaining the essential character of the protected structure with the new rear and side elevations designed in the art deco style with curved corner widows, recessed and projecting plastered bands and horizontal fenestration. The front façade shall be repaired where necessary and repainted. The retained front elevation shall be amended to allow a new front door access to house 1, to the left of the facade. Windows shall be replaced with opening dark grey aluminium double glazed windows. The existing entrance doors shall be replaced with a dark grey aluminium glazed screen to replicate the existing art deco design. The canopy will be covered with a lead flat roof. A painted timber eaves and soffit will be fitted to replicate the existing materials. The proposed pitched roof to the house is finished in blue/black flat tiles and is hidden behind the listed front elevation. Both dwellings have been designed to ensure there is no overlooking of any neighbouring properties. The detached house is 22m from the rear facade of the house in the original cinema. This is a protected structure

Land-use zoning

What this land is zoned for

Town CentreUC

“To provide for the development and enhancement of town/village centre core uses including a mix of retail, residential, commercial, civic and other uses.”

National zoning type: City/Town/village Centre, central area

Objective set by the Rathkeale Local Area Plan 2023-2029 (2023–2029). The planning authority decides each application on its own merits — this is the zoning context, not a compliance assessment.

Read the zoning objectives in the development plan

Built & sold

What happened next

Beyond the decision: whether this development was built, and what property here has sold for.

Recent sales nearby

within 500 m

Residential Property Price Register sales within 500 metres of this site
Address	Date	Price	Distance
2 Wolfburgess Close, Lower Main Street, Rathkeale	Jul 2025	€230,000	103 m
Lower Main St, Rathkeale, Limerick	Mar 2026	€280,000	129 m
Lower Main Street, Rathkeale, Co. Limerick	Sept 2025	€400,000	130 m
Main Street, Rathkeale, Co Limerick	Jan 2025	€195,000	147 m
Main Street, Rathkeale, Co. Limerick	Apr 2025	€345,000	255 m
42 St Marys Park, Rathkeale, Limerick	May 2026	€190,000	263 m
Ballywilliam, Rathkeale, Co Limerick	May 2025	€500,000	373 m
Upper Main Street, Rathkeale, Co Limerick	Jul 2025	€287,000	376 m

Nearby properties, not this site — a guide to local values.

Sources: Building Control Management System (commencement notices) and the Residential Property Price Register, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Records are matched to this application by location and may not be exhaustive; always confirm against the official source before relying on them.

Key dates

Timeline

Application received26 March 2024
Further information requested17 May 2024
Application withdrawn18 November 2024

In the area

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