Dublin is “absolutely crying out” for a European-style food market that could act as a cultural meeting space and bring people back to the city.

Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon is calling on Dublin City Council (DCC) to show some urgency about the redevelopment of the old fruit market in Smithfield.

On The Hard Shoulder this evening, he said the council today told him that construction ‘might’ begin on the market in 2025 – six years after it last opened its doors.

He said the Victorian building is the perfect locations for a European-style food market – much like the Time Out market in Lisbon or the many markets in London.

“These markets around Europe operate as kind of the agora of the city,” he said.

“It’s where people go, and they get a fusion of the different foods on offer all over the country – that’s what this city needs.

“When we talk about the reason we need it - I want it because it just sounds class - but when we think about how we revitalise the city … when we’re losing commercial footfall to the M50 shopping centres and we need to bring people back into the centre, that has to be food and culture.

“Dublin City Council has been sitting on this for too long and it is falling into decay.

“We’ve had numerous calls on them to open it up now. I called them again today and they said construction ‘may’ begin on the market in 2025.

“What we’re calling for is urgency. The city is crying out for this.”

Smithfield Fruit Market in Dublin.

Deputy Gannon, who was a city councillor before winning his seat in the Dáil said he left the council confident the redevelopment would happen soon.

“Dublin City Council, I can’t understand why, seems to have fallen into some form of malaise in terms of really pushing this vision forward for the city,” he said.

“We had a city recovery plan that seemd to consist of just opening up a couple of public loos. We need a full city recovery plan that reimagines how we engage with each other.”

Oranges in the Smithfield Fruit Market. Image: imageBROKER / Alamy Stock Photo

The Dublin Central TD said the Smithfield market could be the centrepiece of a completely reimagined north inner city.

“Imagine Moore street, which is up for redevelopment, coming up through Henry Street on to Capel Street - newly pedestrianised - and coming into this market that is absolutely big and glorious with a couple of theatres around the complex,” he said.

“That’s a reason for people to come into the city. I am so tired of our city being sanitised. I want a place where Dubs, people from all sorts of new communities, can sell their foods and different styles and have a place hwere you can hear the voice of the city.

“We don’t have that anymore.

“There is also a flower market just off that big Victorian building. People talked about that being a theatre space. Can you imagine having that in the centre of the city? A publicly-owned theatre space just beside this big market.

We have an AWESOME vision. We have always seen the market having a massive social impact on the Liberties Economy, on existing traders and shops and on employment. The option arises for 100 homes of mixed tenure to be built on lands to the side of the market also. @DublinInquirer pic.twitter.com/meX0S8hu4A

— Reclaim Iveagh Markets Campaign (@IveaghMarkets) June 1, 2022

Deputy Gannon noted that there are other spaces in Dublin that are also crying out for renovation and imagination.

“We’ve got the Iveagh Market which is still lying not only idle but with all sorts of bueruacratic complications,” he said.

“Imainge we had a ciy that was about its culture. Markets, food, arts, experiences - we have artists crying out for space all over this city and are being pushed out they feel there is no space for them.

“As we become more online in terms of our shopping, there’s so much opportunity for culture, for food and experiences. That has to be how reimagine our city.

“I don’t only want one market. I want a number of them all over the place.”

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