Incredible: we made almost 18m trips to the cinema

IRISH cinema-goers have bought approximately 17.6 million cinema tickets this year, an increase of about 200,000 on 2003 figures.

And cinema business analysts Dodona Research have predicted that a target of 20 million admissions annually could be reached by 2008.

At 4.4 visits per head of population, Ireland continues to hold the second-highest rate of cinema-goers in Europe.

Only Icelanders visit the cinema more often than the Irish, sitting in front of the silver screen an average of six times a year.

Ireland was also one of the few states in Europe to record an increase in admissions in 2003 and while the rise was a modest 0.6%, gross box office revenues rose by 7% to €97.5 million.

Dodona said even a modest growth in ticket prices would be enough to push takings at the box office past €120m by 2008.

United Cinemas International marketing manager in Ireland Robert Finn said they were expecting their ticket tills to keep on ringing over the festive period, even without a new James Bond, Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings film release this Christmas.

One new release expected to pack them in over the holidays is Lemony Snicket’s A series of Unfortunate Events starring Jim Carrey.

Meanwhile, the third and final instalment in the Tolkein trilogy The Lord of the Rings; The Return of the King was voted the best film of the year in a poll by viewers of the BBC’s Film 2004 show, hosted by Jonathan Ross.

The two previous films in the trilogy - the Two Towers and The Fellowship of the Ring - also took the title in 2002 and 2003.

Mr Finn said Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, again starring Jim Carrey, which came second, was a great film even though it did not do so well at the box office.

At number three was Finding Neverland, the biopic of Peter Pan creator JM Barrie starring Johnny Depp as the boy who never grows up.

Lost in Translation, the quirky film which starred Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson, was fourth while Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was in fifth place.

Zombie comedy Shaun of the Dead was sixth and the Chinese martial arts epic Hero was seventh.

The Incredibles, Spider Man 2 and Collateral also made the top 10 and the results of the poll will be broadcast in a Film 2004 special tonight.

Mr Finn also said Spider Man 2 was much better than the first film about the comic book hero.

“That was surprising.

“Usually the sequels are not as good,” he said.

Mr Finn was surprised a number of box office hits of the year did not make the top 10. Such films included Disney’s Shark Tale, Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ; Shrek 2 and the Day After Tomorrow.

He said, however, The Motorcycle Diaries was one of the great films of 2004.