Light House in rent row

The status of the Light House, the gorgeous cinema in Dublin’s Smithfield, has been thrown into confusion with the issuing of a “wind-up petition” against the venue. The cinema’s landlord took the action following a dispute over rent on the property. Reports suggest that, last May, the annual rent was increased from €100,000 to €200,000. The cinema’s directors are consulting legal advisers before the petition hearing on Monday.

The bad news arrives following a period when the cinema has had notable hits with

The King’s Speech, True Grit

and – most unusually and impressively – the highbrow French picture

Of Gods and Men

.