Captivating the audience with more than just the stars of the screen

Ireland's love affair with the multiplex is set to continue, with at least five developments earmarked for the Dublin area, and planning permission sought for new developments in Cork and Limerick. Seemingly, the huge growth in the cinema industry has not yet catered for the potential demand, but with so many new screens in the pipeline, the prospect of market saturation is also a fear for those in the industry.

On Dublin's northside, the planned £80 million shopping and leisure development in Santry was dealt a blow when An Bord Pleanala decided to reduce the cinema element from 16 screens to eight. Ster Kinekor, the South African company which runs the Liffey Valley multiplex, was the prospective tenant for the site. However, a company spokesperson said it is "not at this point planning" to take the Santry site.

With another six-screen cinema planned as part of the Pavilion's shopping centre development in Swords and the existing Santry Omniplex and Coolock UCI, the Dublin city north side market looks to be near saturation.

Paul Anderson, managing director of Omniplex Holdings, points out that while there is a higher population in the south Dublin suburbs, they are less well-provided for in terms of cinemas. His company is hoping to open a seven-screen multiplex as part of its redevelopment of The Swan Shopping Centre in Rathmines, but the proposals have foundered in the planning process. A decision on an appeal to An Bord Pleanala is expected early next year.

Mr Anderson says people in the south of the city want cinemas that are convenient and that do not involve long car journeys to sites such as the Ster Century or UCI complexes in west Dublin. "Entertainment has been neglected in the development of facilities in the inner suburbs," says Mr Anderson. "We are reaching a new phase of convenience. The more affluent we become, the more convenience we require."

The plans for a 16-screen multiplex in another south Dublin suburb - Dundrum - were turned down by An Bord Pleanala. The new plans are for a smaller, 11-screen cinema, according to Neil Bannon of letting agents Harrington Bannon, who says the development would be completed in 2002/3.

The new 12-screen IMC cinema in Dun Laoghaire is the first multi-screen rival to the Ormonde in Stillorgan. Paul Ward, of cinema chain Ward Anderson which is behind the project, says that obviously the market is going to reach saturation at some point. However, he says that intense competition will be an engine for change and innovation as cinemas seek to provide the customer with the best service.

Stephen Murphy, marketing manager for UCI Ireland, shares this view. "As more cinemas open in Dublin, they are going to have to differentiate themselves from competitors," he says.

UCI is currently actively pursuing the tenancy of the proposed 16-screen cinema in the Millennium Mall development planned for O'Connell Street. The reduced size of the Dundrum and Santry sites is good news for this development.

However, the Millennium Mall project has been delayed by legal challenges to the planning decisions. Paul Clinton, project manager, says that the development is awaiting the outcome of High Court proceedings taken by Treasury Holdings against An Bord Pleanala.

Outside Dublin, there are plans for a new multiplex in Mahon in Cork, near the western entrance to the new Jack Lynch Tunnel. The project is only starting the planning process, but Ward Anderson has confirmed it is in negotiations with developers over the site. Cork already has four multiplexes in and around the city, including cinemas in Ballincollig and Douglas.

In Limerick, a planning application has been made for an eight-to-ten-screen multiplex on the Ennis Road. Limerick already has the Savoy, and the 12-screen Limerick Omniplex.

Whether or not all these projects are seen through to completion, it seems likely that the number of cinema screens in Ireland is set to increase considerably as the multiplex trend continues. But Ireland's already high cinema attendance rates will have to continue to rise if the new ventures are to be a financial success.