Overview
You can carry a drink from the downstairs bar straight into your seat at the Light House, which tells you most of what you need to know about the place: this is Dublin’s arthouse cinema, run for people who take film seriously but not solemnly. It sits on Market Street South in Smithfield, with 614 seats across four screens, and it’s owned by Element Pictures. The programme leans on independent Irish and international film, director retrospectives and live-event broadcasts, though it slots in the bigger mainstream releases too. The layout puts comfort and clear sightlines ahead of scale.
If you’re choosing a Dublin cinema for something you won’t find at the multiplex, this is the one.
A Brief History
The Light House name first appeared in 1988 on Middle Abbey Street, in a repurposed art-deco building that quickly drew the city’s film crowd. A closure in 1996 preceded a move across the river: funded by the government, a purpose-built venue opened in Smithfield in 2008, designed for independent and festival programming. The 2011 financial crisis forced a short shutdown and the transfer of the property to the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA).
In 2012, Element Pictures took over and reopened it, building the schedule around eclectic seasons, community engagement and festival hosting. The approach earned nods from the Guardian Film Awards and a place on ARTINFO’s “Coolest Cinema in the World” list. Today it’s a home base for the Dublin International Film Festival, the GAZE Film Festival, the Japanese Film Festival and a run of music and literature events.
Screens & Programming
The four screens are deliberately varied in size:
- Screen 1 – 277 seats. The main room, for premieres, live broadcasts and larger festival titles.
- Screen 2 – 153 seats. A mid-size space for independent releases and classic seasons.
- Screen 3 – 116 seats. Foreign-language cinema, documentary and niche programming.
- Screen 4 – 68 seats. The smallest, kept for experimental films, shorts and special events.
Programming turns over weekly. Regular “seasons” give several weeks to a director, actor or genre, while cult screenings and sing-alongs crop up through the year. Live broadcasts cover opera, ballet, theatre and concerts.
Food & Drink
The ground-floor café runs during screening hours – coffee, hot chocolate, pastries, sandwiches and salads – a practical stop before a film or between two.
The bar downstairs, built into the former underground car park, is the social centre. It opens seven days: from 5.30pm Monday to Thursday, 5pm on Fridays and 2pm at weekends, serving craft beers, wines, spirits and cocktails alongside toasties and light bites. Unusually, you’re allowed to bring your drink from here into the screen. It stays open after the last showing, and there’s free WiFi with a weekly password from the staff.
Accessibility & Family Screenings
Access is a priority. All public corridors, ticket desks, screening rooms and toilets are wheelchair-accessible. The venue runs regular open-caption screenings, where subtitles stay on throughout, and sensory-friendly showings that lower the lighting and volume and drop the trailers. Assistance dogs are welcome everywhere.
For families, Parent & Baby screenings run twice a week, on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. The house lights stay up a little, the sound is turned down, and there’s buggy storage at the entrance, so parents can move about during the film.
Getting There & Ticketing
Address & Transport Market St S, Smithfield, Dublin 7 (D07 R6YE). The Smithfield stop on the Luas Red Line is a four-minute walk. Several Dublin Bus routes serve nearby Blackhall Place and Arran Quay, and there are Dublin Bikes stands at Market Square.
Tickets & Membership Standard adult tickets run from €6.50 to €12, depending on the film and screening type, with reduced fares for students and seniors. The cinema runs a loyalty programme with free and paid tiers, earning points on tickets and discounts. Seats are unassigned for most screenings – arrive 10 to 15 minutes early for the best spot – though event cinema such as the Met Opera and Royal Ballet & Opera has allocated seating.
Parking City-centre parking is tight, but the box office validates it: bring your ParkRite Queen Street ticket along with your cinema ticket for a €7 three-hour rate. QPark on Queen Street is the alternative at €4 an hour, with 20% off if you pre-book online using the code LIGHTH20; it also has limited accessible parking.
Exploring Smithfield
The cinema sits in a quarter that’s grown from a livestock market into a dining and culture district. Within a short walk:
- Jameson Distillery Bow St – the restored whiskey distillery on Bow Street, with guided tours and tastings, is practically next door.
- St Michan’s Church – known for the mummified remains in its burial vaults, a few minutes south towards the Four Courts.
- Smithfield Square – the cobbled plaza outside, which hosts markets, seasonal events and occasional live music.
- Abbey Theatre – Ireland’s national theatre, a walk east along the north quays.
Visitor Tips
- Check the weekly schedule online first. The programme changes often and frequently adds pop-up festivals or director Q&As that aren’t listed far in advance.
- Seats are unassigned for most films, so if you want the centre rows, aim to arrive at least ten minutes early.
- Take the Luas Red Line: the Smithfield stop exits onto the pedestrian zone right outside.
- Parent & Baby screenings are on Wednesday and Saturday mornings, clearly marked on the website, with relaxed entry and exit.
- If you go often, sign up for the free loyalty tier – points build up on tickets, and members tend to get earlier access to limited-capacity events.