Cinema Lane is a small one-way street in Wexford Town. It is one of two parallel routes linking South Main Street and Crescent Quay, the other being Henrietta Street.

The lane is also known as Harper’s Lane or Harpur’s Lane. Both names are used interchangeably on maps and in the addresses of local businesses.

It takes its name from the former Palace Cinema, a 600-seat venue that opened in 1914 as the town’s first “proper” cinema. The first film shown there was The Old Maid’s Baby (1914).

The Harpur name derives from a local family that owned property in the area. One of the most notable members was Thomas Harpur, who served as Mayor of Wexford Town in the late 19th century. The lane also went by Hays Lane.

The former Uncle Sam’s fast food outlet, which closed in September 2019, once occupied the building at the entrance to the lane. It previously housed Peter Murphy & Son, a family-owned grocery store, and is now home to Mizzoni’s Pizza and Mario’s Pasta Bar, which opened in June 2025. A Costa Coffee outlet occupied the building on the opposite side before it closed permanently on 4 January 2026.

The lane was also the scene of an unsolved murder. William Hannan, who owned a small newsagent’s shop called The Dainty, was fatally assaulted there on 8 March 1958.

Former businesses in the area included Ned Buggy’s sport shop, Ann’s Angels, and Farrells’ Furniture store.

A small archway in the middle of Harper’s Lane connects it with Henrietta Street.

Ordnance Survey maps from the 19th century show the lane was called Harper’s Lane and that it ran between two large timber yards.

Map

A map showing its location: