Eclipse Cinemas Lifford-Strabane has won the prestigious ‘Business of the Year Award’ at the Strabane Chamber of Commerce annual Business Awards 2018.
Staff and owners of the popular cinema we delighted to received the top accolade, which was announced at an event in Ruby’s Nightclub Strabane on Saturday night.
The awards were open to all businesses in the Strabane area with businesses from both sides of the border shortlisted.
Eclipse Cinemas Lifford-Strabane sits next to the Foyle River which separates Strabane from Lifford, The Republic of Ireland from Northern Ireland and perhaps soon the European Union from an independent United Kingdom. Politically, both towns are very different but in reality, they are the one, with people passing over the border with no thought.
Director Daniel Barrett explained “The cinema is in Lifford, but half of our customers and staff are from Strabane, so we feel just as part of the Strabane Community as we do Lifford, and the opposite applies to businesses in Strabane too! It is therefore great to be recognised by Strabane Chamber of Commerce with this award.”
The cinema originally opened in 1996 as a four screen cinema. In 2016 the original part of the cinema had a major refurbishment with stadium seating style seating being added.
In 2008 after an extension was added the cinema was rebranded Eclipse Cinemas following a rename the cinema competition. A local student came up with the name because “When you go into a studio it is bright, then the lights go down and the film starts. At the end the lights go up again, just like during an Eclipse”.
The cinema not only offers mainstream movies that all cinemas show, it also shows classics that are not available elsewhere such as Smokey & The Bandit, Hocus Pocus, It’s A Wonderful Life and Home Alone, all on screen before the New Year.
Eclipse Cinemas Lifford Strabane ahead of the Strabane Chamber of Commerce Awards night
General Manager Louise Grieve Doherty highlights the cinema’s latest venture: “We have recently moved into the food and drink market with the opening of Extras @ Eclipse – a small eatery providing a small selection of food and wine-based drinks to cinema patrons whether they want to enjoy them in the studio or in our sit-down area. We have also launched our new ‘Pour @ The Pictures’ concept. To put it simply, this means that customers are allowed wine and prosecco in advertised screenings.”
Visit http://eclipsecinemas.com/index.php?__site=LIFFORDCP for movie showtimes and to book tickets now.
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