Can cinema hold up to competition of television?

I WORRY about the fate of cinema. Last year, a study released by the European Audiovisual Observatory showed Ireland has tumbled down the league table of cinema-goers.

The Irish used to be the world’s most frequent movie-goers (Iceland holds that accolade, according to another study by HSI Screen Digest). Irish cinemas are losing attendances three times faster than the average EU country.

This is poignant, given we’ve just had a bumper year, to judge by the films at last night’s Oscars ceremony, in Hollywood, which included the magnificent Nebraska, Her and American Hustle.