Compton Organ

The restored Three Manual 12 Rank Compton Organ, the only one of its kind in the country, is resident in the University Concert Hall. The organ, which was originally sited in the Savoy Theatre in Cork, has over 1000 pipes. Commencing in 1932 the organ was used for 40 years to entertain patrons of the Savoy cinema. During the 30's, 40's and 50's Ireland had the highest rate of cinema attendance per capita in Europe. Many believe that the Compton, and organs like it, were largely responsible for this. Changes in entertainment patterns in the 60's saw the end of the organ's place in Irish cinema entertainment. A special concert featuring the organ was performed at the Concert Hall in December 1994. It is also played regularly at University of Limerick graduation ceremonies.

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