Curtain goes down on Kino cinema

DESPITE an epic campaign to keep it open, Cork’s Kino – the only independent arthouse cinema outside of Dublin – is to close this weekend. The building on Washington Street will be put up for sale.

Owner Mick Hannigan held a meeting with staff just before lunchtime yesterday to confirm what they already knew. “It is a very sad occasion, especially for the staff here,” he said. “It wasn’t just a job for them. They also had a major emotional commitment to the place and shared with me a love of quality cinema. I also feel sorry, of course, for my fellow film buffs, those keen film goers who enjoyed a weekly trip to the Kino.”

The cinema will finally close on Sunday night after incurring €60,000 in debts during a planned expansion which never got off the ground.