Smithfield’s Iconic Victorian Market is Finally Getting a €26 Million Makeover
Smithfield’s Iconic Victorian Market is Finally Getting a €26 Million Makeover
Words: Hannah Lemass
Images: Google Street View & Dublin City Council
After years of setbacks, The Irish Times has reported that Smithfield’s historic Victorian Market has finally been given the green light for a long-awaited €26 million restoration.
Work on the 127-year-old structure is set to begin in June, with plans to house around 80 stalls selling food and goods once it reopens by the end of 2027.
Visitors will be able to pick up their weekly shop at the market or soak up the atmosphere while dining at the on-site food stalls.
The revamp has been decades in the making. The first redevelopment proposals were put forward 23 years ago, envisioning a large-scale project that included retail, apartments, and office space up to six stories high. However, the ambitious €425 million plan never materialised, as contracts weren’t signed before the financial crash.
Since then, the story of the market’s redevelopment has been of stop-starts. In 2011, Dublin City Council announced more modest plans, but these stalled due to the need for vacant possession of the property. It wasn’t until 2019 that an agreement was reached with the remaining traders—many of whom had been there for generations—allowing the council to proceed.
At that point, the vision was to transform the space into a continental-style food court, with hopes of opening by 2021. Needless to say, those plans didn’t come to fruition either, and the market has remained largely closed since then, aside from occasional special events and film productions.
For many Dubliners, the grand old building is more than just a market—it’s a landmark steeped in history, filled with cherished memories of its bustling past. Here’s hoping the upcoming revamp honours its legacy and restores its place at the heart of the community.
