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Smithfield Horse Market

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  • 01-03-2009 7:49pm
    #1
    shifon9
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16 ✭


    As a resident of Smithfield for 3 & half years I just wondered if any other residents are fed up of the horse market - not the market itself but all the things/people that come with it. Today was prime example - we might be in a city centre location but it is still a residential area - the noise began from 7am and the last of the dregs left at 4pm ish. The amount of rubbish left behind is unbelievable - they are still cleaning it now. Since we are in a recession now (and all the moaning that goes with that) - and it is us the tax payers money which pays the council to clean it up - isnt it time for this market to be moved some where more suitable. Why cant they rope off an area of the Phoenix Park - which would be an ideal location. Its also the health and safety issues. I saw an ambulance going down the square at one point. I think some one will get killed or seriously injured some day soon. Many of these individuals clearly dont look after the horses properly. Helmets are none existent and kids riding horses at full gallop up the one way of North King Street against the flow of traffic seems perfectly acceptable behaviour - just wondered if any other residents are fed up with this. I just dont buy its tradition anymore......


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    #2
    mikemac
    Closed Accounts Posts: 19,986 ✭✭✭✭mikemac


    The horse market was there long, long before you moved in :)

    But I agree it's a ridiculous location for a market.
    I'm near Ballyfermot here and the local travelers walk their horses in from here down the footpath. It's a longish walk. Footpaths covered in horse ****

    Phoenix Park would be ideal.
    I'd advice you contact Dublin City Council but realy, it's going to be tough to get it moved.


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    #3
    shifon9
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16 ✭shifon9


    I agree it was here long before me - but for me its becoming a dangerous situation and when some one gets badly hurt or god forbid killed people will be screaming why was this allowed to continue in a built up area


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    #4
    PCPhoto
    Registered Users Posts: 6,584 ✭✭✭PCPhoto


    I was around smithfield this morning and was pleased to see the horse market - I think its fascinating the wheeling and dealing thats involved.

    However, while I do agree that the positioning of the market (nowadays) might seem to be in the wrong area but don't you think that the market traders thought the same when the smithfield apartments were being built....why do the apartments have to be built in their area?

    It's only 1 day a month, YES ! they do leave a huge mess and the level of control amongst the kids there is unbelievable - but there's nothing the gardai are willing/able to do. (Dont think they would have much of a chance if they tried anyway)

    In short - unless the DCC (Dublin City Council) are willing to listen to you (Which I really doubt) then you'll just have to put up with it ...... Moving to Phoenix park sounds ideal - but look at it this way - you wont be able to keep them in a corner.....so the entire park would have kids on horses running around - dont think that would do the deer any good or the people who frequent the park for a bit of weekend relaxation.


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    #5
    byhookorbycrook
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 12,498 Mod ✭✭✭✭byhookorbycrook


    talks of it being moved to Naas.


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    #6
    otwb
    Registered Users Posts: 245 ✭✭otwb


    Market was there long before the apartments were...smacks a bit of buying a house beside an airport and then complaining of the noise from airplanes...

    Would do no harm to have a bit more control and for the council to check for passports and confiscate any horse without one on the day. (get ready for the riots lads:o)


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    #7
    Victor
    Registered Users Posts: 78,423 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    Is this really an Accommodation & Property thread?


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    #8
    jdivision
    Registered Users Posts: 4,260 ✭✭✭jdivision


    It's being moved out to finglas/ballymun border near Ikea, or at least that was the plan. As others said though it was there a long time before you were!


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    #9
    Dandelion6
    Registered Users Posts: 1,405 ✭✭✭Dandelion6


    DCC have been trying to move the fair for yonks, the problem is that legally their hands are tied. They have been trying to locate an alternate site so that the Travellers will agree to move but this has been difficult - nobody else wants to the fair in their backyard either.

    There is an additional problem in that DCC and the Gardaí have both tried to wash their hands of the day-to-day (well month-to-month) running of the fair, as far as DCC are concerned it's a public order issue and therefore a matter for the Guards, the Guards seem to take a different perspective.


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    #10
    shifon9
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16 ✭shifon9


    Does anyone know what happened yesterday and why and ambulance was called? In the time I have been living here it just seems to have got bigger and bigger and I dont see that much buying and selling of horses but other dodgy dealings. Also if it is for buying and selling why are they allowed to race up church st and north king street against the traffic - all it takes is for a horse to get spooked! Then cars/vans/horseboxes are parked all over the place on double yellow lines and amazingly nobody gets clamped or towed away. It just seems like double standards. i remember when the local shops wouldnt open. yes the horse fair was here long before me and the apartments - and im not having a not on my door step moment - it just seems to be getting out of control.


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    #11
    Victor
    Registered Users Posts: 78,423 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    Moved from Accommodation & Property.


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    #12
    ryoishin
    Registered Users Posts: 754 ✭✭✭ryoishin


    I used to live down there and one year they could nt have it in smithfield for some reason. So they had it in the fields in grangegorman instead.


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    #13
    John Mason
    Hosted Moderators Posts: 10,661 ✭✭✭✭John Mason


    We have lost so much of culture and traditions in the last 20 years, i think it would be awful to move the horse market from smithfield. that's it's home


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    #14
    byhookorbycrook
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 12,498 Mod ✭✭✭✭byhookorbycrook


    horses re not meant to be trotted at breakneck speed on uneven road surfaces. That is not part of out tradition.


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    #15
    disssco
    Registered Users Posts: 337 ✭✭disssco


    Make one complaint about the horse market and it'll be "discrimination against the travellers".


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    #16
    Bill2673
    Closed Accounts Posts: 749 ✭✭✭Bill2673


    disssco wrote: »
    Make one complaint about the horse market and it'll be "discrimination against the travellers".


    I don't agree; I've seen other posts in this site having a go at 'knackers' and going on about animal cruelty, and no attempt made to moderate them that I could see. In general, I find that Irish people have no difficulty in giving out about travellers.


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    #17
    Meeja Ireland
    Registered Users Posts: 1,295 ✭✭✭Meeja Ireland


    disssco wrote: »
    Make one complaint about the horse market and it'll be "discrimination against the travellers".

    But the thread is full of (quite reasonable) complaints about the horse market, and no-one has said anything like that.

    Why invent a row where it doesn't exist?


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    #18
    ronaneire
    Registered Users Posts: 1,698 ✭✭✭ronaneire


    Bill2673 wrote: »
    I don't agree; I've seen other posts in this site having a go at 'knackers' and going on about animal cruelty, and no attempt made to moderate them that I could see. In general, I find that Irish people have no difficulty in giving out about travellers.
    Meeja Ireland wrote: »
    But the thread is full of (quite reasonable) complaints about the horse market, and no-one has said anything like that.

    Why invent a row where it doesn't exist?

    Pity he didn't read the date of the last post ;)


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    #19
    Bill2673
    Closed Accounts Posts: 749 ✭✭✭Bill2673


    ronaneire wrote: »
    Pity he didn't read the date of the last post ;)


    Haha funny enough I've made that mistake a few times......conversations that wait a year for a reply.....could take a life time to finish.

    Point still stands though :)


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    #20
    bitter_lemon
    Registered Users Posts: 433 ✭✭bitter_lemon


    i am sick to the back teeth of this!
    20 years ago i used to love this market. it was steeped in tradition and a brilliant day out the first sunday of the month.
    haven't been in years. i am with dspca in trying to shut it down. you can buy a horse there now for a fiver and the horses and other pets are subjected to such cruelty.
    full of knackers and scumbags who say they love animals. ha that is a joke. riding them at breakneck speed down the cobbles tearing the mouths of them. dirtbirds :mad:

    2 people shot this morning at the fair. no animal lovers there thats for sure.
    this does not represent irish culture anymore and hasn't for a long time. it only represents animal cruelty and thuggish behaviour!

    down with this sort of thing!


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    #21
    bitter_lemon
    Registered Users Posts: 433 ✭✭bitter_lemon


    i don't know how to link a site but its from the irish times.


    Two shot at Smithfield horse fair

    Two men have been injured in a gun attack at the Smithfield horse fair in Dublin.
    Gardaí arrested two men in connection with the incident which occurred at around 11.30am at the north inner city venue.

    The victims are being treated in hospital but it is thought their wounds are not life threatening.

    A suspect explosive device was also recovered at the scene. It is being examined by Army
    bomb experts.
    Gardaí at the Bridewell are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incidents.


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    #22
    Sunnyisland
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,562 ✭✭✭✭Sunnyisland


    From rte news...

    Two men have been wounded in a shooting at the Smithfield horse fair in Dublin this morning.

    Smithfield - Horse fair was taking place this morning Two men have been wounded in a shooting at the Smithfield horse fair in Dublin this morning.

    The men were wounded by shots fired from a shotgun at 11.30am.

    Both men have been admitted to hospital, but gardaí say their injuries are not life-threatening. Both are from Offaly and the same family.

    The Army Bomb Disposal Team was called to the area after the discovery of the homemade shotgun.

    The Defence Forces said the gun was made safe and handed over to gardaí.


    There has also been other trouble at the fair following disturbances. One man has been taken to hospital after he was attacked with a slash hook.

    Gardaí believe that 4,500 people turned out for the monthly horse fair, which is the biggest of the year and attracts people from all over Ireland and the UK.

    They feared there would be trouble today and wanted the fair cancelled because too many people were expected in a small area.

    Dublin City Council has also tried but failed to overrule the right to hold the Fair in Smithfield.

    Gardaí believe the trouble today relates to an ongoing Traveller feud.


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    #23
    An Citeog
    Registered Users Posts: 3,096 ✭✭✭An Citeog


    Homemade shotguns and slash hooks at a horse fair: at least they're keeping up with 19th century traditions!


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    #24
    kravmaga
    Registered Users Posts: 1,952 ✭✭✭kravmaga


    :eek:Just seen the private camera footage handed over to RTE 6pm News.

    Shocked but does not surprise me when you consider the element attending the horse fair.

    Dublin City Council should ban it altogether from Smithfield.


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    #25
    bitter_lemon
    Registered Users Posts: 433 ✭✭bitter_lemon


    kravmaga wrote: »
    :eek:Just seen the private camera footage handed over to RTE 6pm News.

    Shocked but does not surprise me when you consider the element attending the horse fair.

    Dublin City Council should ban it altogether from Smithfield.
    this has been going on for years. its not private footage. i'm not sure about posting links. all you need to do is youtube scumbags or knackers - horses- smithfield.
    it says it all.
    such a sad state of affairs when a fair which was once all about animal welfare and for horse enthusiasts resorted to this :mad:


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    #26
    kravmaga
    Registered Users Posts: 1,952 ✭✭✭kravmaga


    bitter_lemon wrote: »
    this has been going on for years. its not private footage. i'm not sure about posting links. all you need to do is youtube scumbags or knackers - horses- smithfield.
    it says it all.
    such a sad state of affairs when a fair which was once all about animal welfare and for horse enthusiasts resorted to this :mad:

    What has been going on for years?

    And by the way the term is Travellers not what you have mentioned above as that is a racist comment.

    RTE stated that the footage was taken by an individual and not their camera crew.

    Thank you;)


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    #27
    hmmm
    Registered Users Posts: 11,205 ✭✭✭✭hmmm


    The state of the horses down in Smithfield is appalling, these animals are treated with cruelty. I have sympathy for those who say that a bunch of yuppies moving into new apartments shouldn't be allowed change an area because they dislike it, but what goes on in Smithfield has no place in modern Ireland.


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    #28
    latenia
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,997 ✭✭✭latenia


    I've just been speaking to a German family with young children who were caught up in this today. They said it was pure luck that the horses bolting from the noise of the gun ran in the opposite direction to them. Naturally they are horrified and said they won't be coming back.

    http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/knacker

    1. a person who buys up old horses for slaughter

    I have no problem using this word to refer to the 'traders' at Smithfield. At this stage it's farcical that an event like this is allowed to happen anywhere, let alone in the middle of a city.


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    #29
    Miguel_Sanchez
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,417 ✭✭✭Miguel_Sanchez


    They really need to close this down.

    It's ridiculous.


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    #30
    A Disgrace
    Registered Users Posts: 865 ✭✭✭A Disgrace


    kravmaga wrote: »
    What has been going on for years?

    And by the way the term is Travellers not what you have mentioned above as that is a racist comment.

    RTE stated that the footage was taken by an individual and not their camera crew.

    Thank you;)

    They're not a seperate race, so it's not racist


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    #31
    The Waltzing Consumer
    Registered Users Posts: 1,949 ✭✭✭The Waltzing Consumer


    A Disgrace wrote: »
    They're not a seperate race, so it's not racist

    Now now now, it is far more important to give out about the word knacker and scream racism then to look at what happened.

    Sure they might have brought a few guns, slash hooks, bars and other weapons into a crowded area and create a panic which could have caused injury to horses and people, but ya know, culture, tradition, way of life blah blah blah. If you don't like this carry on, sure you are a racist then. It's culture! :pac:


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