Smithfield Horse Market

That place should have been shut down years ago. Bloody kids buying animals for a few euro, and letting the animals rot away in fields. Sickens me, that its called culture.

Suprised todays events arent mentioned in AH? whats up with that?
Im sure if the good folk of Ballsbridge had a shooting in the middle of one of their horsey events AH would have it mentioned.

The Waltzing Consumer

Jake1 wrote: »

That place should have been shut down years ago. Bloody kids buying animals for a few euro, and letting the animals rot away in fields. Sickens me, that its called culture.

Suprised todays events arent mentioned in AH? whats up with that?
Im sure if the good folk of Ballsbridge had a shooting in the middle of one of their horsey events AH would have it mentioned.

To be fair, if it was in AH, people might say things that might be factually acurate but because it is travellers they are talking about, it would be considered racism or discriminating and the thread would be locked.

deelite

Right I'm going to ask a silly question but do you need a licence for a horse (like you do for dogs)?

RMD

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;)

So Travellers are a different ethnicity to the Irish?

run_Forrest_run

There were children at this fair, this was a disgusting incident.
It's widely understood now, this 'ethnic' group don't have the ability to consider other people in their actions, but hey we must accept this, hell f**k no, absolute scum, only place for them is behind bars or closer to the soil if you ask me.

RoadRunner

For their' own good we need to start treating the Travellers like the rest of the irish citizens. They were caught on camera this time and they need to be properly locked up, and made an example of. Society will benefit. I've seen them go at each other with pitchforks and axes outside the national boxing arena and they guards drove on past.

People need to know their limitations.

It should be the priority of the incoming government to act on this. Just the same as the dirty politicians and bankers on the other end of the scale.

Degsy

I saw the footage on RTE news at 9,shocking stuff going on with kids in attendance.
As if the shooting wasnt bad enough they started going at it with tyre-irons,slashooks and crowbars..fcucking savages.

I dont know how there werent lots more injuries from horses bolting in all directions too.

The whole thing was a disgrace.

nmacc

Strangely enough no-one seemed to have been hurt in the stampede.

It was a genuine stampede, I know as I was less than 50m from the shooter and overlooking the spot.

There was one loud bang and a pause of maybe 2 seconds whilst it sunk in. It took that long for the horses to react as well as the people. When they did there was a stampede away from the area of the shooting. The rush stopped fairly quickly as most of the horses were on ropes or lead reins and there was a pause of about a minute before a group ran quickly to the noth-east corner of the square where the melee took place. One man was slashed fairly badly (possibly the shooter?), but the ambulance was there in next to no time and he was taken away.

I had been filming the scene, but unfortunately had just put the camera away before the shot was fired, so I missed the actual event. Typical!

delta_bravo

I have a feeling that since the market has been in existence for so many years it may have some sort of legal recognition and thats why the council have so much trouble in banning it.

Best thing to do is just completely disrupt the activities of it if they cant ban it; get Gardai down there with the DSPCA and seize any horse where the owner has no paperwork or something like that.

RMD

Would a market not need some form of permission to take place? I doubt the tinkers can just show up and set up shop? Who gives out permission for markets to take place on public property? I'd assume it's DCC, but if that was the case they could stop it straight away so it must be a different group.

feckin gas, I know for a fact if I started selling hats scarves etc on street Id be moved along and possibly brought to court for not having street traders license.

delta_bravo

RMD wrote: »

Would a market not need some form of permission to take place? I doubt the tinkers can just show up and set up shop? Who gives out permission for markets to take place on public property? I'd assume it's DCC, but if that was the case they could stop it straight away so it must be a different group.

The problem I think is that there have been markets at Smithfield for more than 200 years so the area is probably designated as a trading area possibly in the charter of the city or some old city laws.

Even the placename is "Margadh na Feirme" which would roughly translate into the Market for the farm.

Best thing is just to try and disrupt it as much as possible and have a heavy handed approach.

A Disgrace

Nothing against travellers and all that, but they are pushing for legitimate 'ethnic' status, and that's what worries me. They ARE ethic, but much the same as any Irish person is. If we adopt this view-point, Cork people will soon be considered 'ethnic' and saying 'langer' in public will be considered xenephoic. Let's get a grip. They're Irish, and if they considtently break the law or cause public order offences in any area, they should be treated like any other person.. tradition is tradition, and I get it, but just because you're different doesn't make you different..

Lapin

kravmaga wrote: »

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

Anyone who fires a loaded gun injuring 2 others in a densely crowded area with highly strung animals present and creates scenes like the ones shown on last nights news is a complete knacker in my opinion, regardless of what culture, background or race they claim to come from.

mike kelly

RMD wrote: »

I doubt the tinkers can just show up and set up shop?

they can do pretty much what they want. Whenever there is a traveller funeral in a rural town, the gardai order all publicans to close until the travellers have left.

mike kelly

nmacc wrote: »

I had been filming the scene, but unfortunately had just put the camera away before the shot was fired, so I missed the actual event. Typical!

u were lucky. If you had to give evidence against these fellows, they would make your life hell

maximoose

I've been in Smithfield for 4 years now and this 'market' - I'm using that term loosely as from what I've seen there is f*ck all trading actually goes on here - is a joke. It brings...

traveller kids hanging around outside the Centras on Stoneybatter/Manor Street drinking naggins shouting abuse at people just walking by, their horses tied to lamposts outside the shops blocking off the entire path

Droves of travellers' Jeeps/Wagons/Trailers/Lorries parked illegally all along Brunswick street North blocking off more paths and half the feckin road

Dublin 7 in its ENTIRETY is covered in horse sh*t and hay for usually a full 3 weeks after the 'market'

I'm not mad into animal protection and rights but the blatant cruelty to the horses on display is disgusting aswell. The condition of the horses is terrible, and you'll see hefty teens and even fully grown men parading around on young horses that are far too small to carry them.

After yesterday's events surely the DCC/Garda/whoever need to do something and get rid of this backwards tradition

Adagiodiva

I've been living in Smithfield for the lat three and a half years and have never seen the likes of what occured yeaterday.

When the gunshots went off..people scattered letting go of their horses and the horses started running wild (obviously afraid of the gunshot) all around the Square and environs....including onto North King Street into traffic and onto the LUAS line added to this was people attacking each other with sticks and anything else they could put their hands on. It's now gone beyond a horsefair...it's now a serious public liability and to call this "tradition" is a scapegoat.

It has to be accepted that Smithfield is now an urban area, it is not the place for horses to be traded. It is not fair that we as residents of Smithfield are afraid to leave our homes on the first Sunday of every month...which was the case yeaterday. Don't get my wrong I'm well used to city life but the intimidation that I experienced from those participating in the horse fair yesterday.unbelieveable..I only walked into the Square to head to the gym and had a group of teenager boys approached me (one on horse) and started making really crude comments (use your imagination) to me.

It's an absolute joke...we're paying a small fortune to live in Smithfield and are subject to this?? It's just not acceptable.

S.

cursai

Bloody french canadians ruin everything. worst kind of cream crackers!

michelledoh

Saw the garda helimocopter going around yesterday morning, and sirens blaring everywhere and didn't know what was going on.

This has to be the end of this, the area around Smithfield was in complete dirt last night, and you'd want to see the way some of these animals were being treated yesterday on Nth King St. :mad:

Rabble Rabble

I blame we as a society.

JP Liz V1

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/chaos-at-horse-fair-as-two-hurt-in-shooting-147353.html

There were chaotic scenes at the traditional Smithfield Horse Fair in Dublin yesterday after the sound of several gunshots triggered a stampede among horses and members of the public.
Animal welfare groups called for the immediate closure of the centuries-old market after yesterday’s event was marked by a number of violent incidents including a shooting in which two males were injured.
The Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals claimed the fair, which attracts hundreds of horse traders and spectators every month, descended into mayhem after gunshots rang out around the packed plaza.
"People were literally running for their lives as horses were out of control. It’s a miracle nobody was killed," said Orla Aungier, operations manager of the DSPCA.
Two men were injured during the shooting which occurred at about 11.30am as the large plaza was thronged with more than 400 horses and several hundred traders and bystanders, including a large force of gardaí.
One male was rushed to St James Hospital for treatment, while the other was brought by ambulance to the Mater Hospital, although neither victim’s injuries are understood to be life-threatening.
Garda sources said the incident was believed to be related to an ongoing feud between Traveller families. Both injured parties are believed to be members of the same Co Offaly family.
The Army Bomb Disposal Unit was also called to the fair after a suspicious device was discovered.
The Defence Forces later confirmed that the weapon was an improvised shotgun which was made safe and given to gardaí for investigation.
In a separate incident, another man also required treatment in hospital for an injury after he was attacked with a slash hook during a row involving a large group of males.
DSPCA general manager, Jimmy Cahill, said the organisation had warned before yesterday’s events that the horse fair posed a considerable danger to both the public and animals.
"This is not some quaint tradition that celebrates Ireland’s love for horses. This is a major health and safety issue that today moved firmly into criminality," said Mr Cahill.
"The Smithfield market is unlicensed, unregulated and completely unsuitable for horses. We have regularly come across neglected and injured horses here which flies in the face of Ireland’s reputation as a nation of horse lovers."
The DSPCA called on the new Government to close the Smithfield Horse Fair through the introduction of emergency legislation.
Ms Aungier said the condition of some horses brought to Smithfield were a cause of serious concern.
A request by Dublin City Council for horse traders not to attend yesterday’s fair due to refurbishment work on the Smithfield Plaza was widely ignored as horse traders from all parts of the country, as well as Britain, attended the largest of the monthly markets.
The local authority is currently carrying out a major upgrade of the Smithfield Quarter which meant that around 50% of the space normally occupied by the horse fair was closed off.
Dublin City Council said the call on traders to avoid the fair was made in the interest of public safety.
The council does not have legal powers to close the market itself unless it provides an alternative site within the surrounding area.
Instead, it has asked the Government to introduce legislation to extinguish the right of horse traders to operate the fair on the first Sunday of every month.
Dozens of council staff were also required to mount a major clean-up operation after the fair was over as Smithfield’s famed cobblestones were covered with rubbish and horse manure.

(I feel for all the people living in this area anyone could have hurt yesterday, disgraceful)

RDM_83 again

Adagiodiva wrote: »

I've been living in Smithfield for the lat three and a half years and have never seen the likes of what occured yeaterday.
.................
It's now gone beyond a horsefair...it's now a serious public liability and to call this "tradition" is a scapegoat.

It has to be accepted that Smithfield is now an urban area,
................................

It's an absolute joke...we're paying a small fortune to live in Smithfield and are subject to this?? It's just not acceptable.

S.

What sort of area has smithfield been for all the previous hundreds of years before you moved there after?

Its an obvious solution to the problem that the hundreds of year old tradition that has its rights enshrined by law has to go, don't you know there's nice apartments there now!

maximoose wrote: »

I've been in Smithfield for 4 years now and this 'market' - I'm using that term loosely as from what I've seen there is f*ck all trading actually goes on here - is a joke. It brings...
............
Dublin 7 in its ENTIRETY is covered in horse sh*t and hay for usually a full 3 weeks after the 'market'
.................
After yesterday's events surely the DCC/Garda/whoever need to do something and get rid of this backwards tradition

Dublin 7 is not covered in horse sh-t for three weeks after the market thats the biggest load of Bullsh-t I ever heard (and if it was presumably you noticed that when you were moving there?unless you moved in on the one week that there wasn't?)

The whole point is the garda haven't been able to get rid of this backwards tradition because its so old its enshrined into the law/rights (of the city I presume), you do know that smithfield used have cattle market etc in it.

Not every aspect traditional aspect can be sacrificed so that people who bought overpriced apartments in the boom can be in 180,000 grands worth of negative equity rather than 200,000 and not have to run into any undesirables while there nipping into fresh for some massively overpriced shopping.

I'm not condoning what by any means happened but let the cops do there job and come down extremely hard on those offenders not shut the place down.

The Waltzing Consumer

RDM_83 again wrote: »

What sort of area has smithfield been for all the previous hundreds of years before you moved there after?

Its an obvious solution to the problem that the hundreds of year old tradition that has its rights enshrined by law has to go, don't you know there's nice apartments there now!

Dublin 7 is not covered in horse sh-t for three weeks after the market thats the biggest load of Bullsh-t I ever heard (and if it was presumably you noticed that when you were moving there?unless you moved in on the one week that there wasn't?)

The whole point is the garda haven't been able to get rid of this backwards tradition because its so old its enshrined into the law/rights (of the city I presume), you do know that smithfield used have cattle market etc in it.

Not every aspect traditional aspect can be sacrificed so that people who bought overpriced apartments in the boom can be in 180,000 grands worth of negative equity rather than 200,000 and not have to run into any undesirables while there nipping into fresh for some massively overpriced shopping.

I'm not condoning what by any means happened but let the cops do there job and come down extremely hard on those offenders not shut the place down.

You see, the big problem with this post is the absolute snobbery you show to these posters who may or may not be living in new apartments in Smithfield. What difference does that make? I can understand if you may be a bit bitter if you have grown up and lived in Smithfield all your life and see the re-development of the area as a negative thing. So is that the case? Are you a born and bred Smithfield resident?

RDM_83 again

I only lived in Smithfield for a time (and not even a dub native or resident anymore) I just hate the expectation that when people pay big money for property in an area they demand the character of the area to change no matter how long the tradition (and the horse fair is one long tradition!), I'l give you an example I lived in temple bar for a decent period of time, the noise was horrific (and actually worst in mornings with trucks making deliveries) and I did bitch about it too my friends, but I didn't expect it too change because it had been like that before I moved there and would be like that when I left, you can't be all shocked and high horsed (pardon the pun) about a thing that you knew was happening for literally hundreds of years before you moved there!
and also there is an element of snobbery in all these demands to shut the horse fair down, would they really be happening if it was council flats backing onto the square?

Adagiodiva

RDM_83 again wrote: »

Dublin 7 is not covered in horse sh-t for three weeks after the market thats the biggest load of Bullsh-t I ever heard (and if it was presumably you noticed that when you were moving there?unless you moved in on the one week that there wasn't?).

Acutally the horse **** lasts for at least two weeks, unless we are unlucky (or lucky) to have a good downpour of rain to wash it away...the stench this morning will last for a good couple of days. Those living in the terraced houses along the Square will now also have to clean up their own gardens where rubbish thrown into them.

RDM_83 again wrote: »

Not every aspect traditional aspect can be sacrificed so that people who bought overpriced apartments in the boom can be in 180,000 grands worth of negative equity rather than 200,000 and not have to run into any undesirables while there nipping into fresh for some massively overpriced shopping.?)

You obviously have a problem with those of us who have purchased apartments in the area, in a development that took place in an effort to revilatise this area of Dublin. I'm sorry that I'm not a born and bred Smithfield resident but I AM ENTITLED to speak as a new resident of Smithfield.

You didn't one mention the serious health hazard that the horse fair now poses to ALL OF US taking place in such a built up area--that's the main point. It is now too dangerous to hold this event in the city centre..it's only a matter of time before someone gets seriously injuired or before a horse ploughs into the LUAS.

mike kelly

Adagiodiva wrote: »

..I only walked into the Square to head to the gym and had a group of teenager boys approached me (one on horse) and started making really crude comments (use your imagination) to me.

next time, wear hula hoops ear rings

seriously, you were lucky they did not assault you. they have gone into rape and sexual assault in a big way in the last few years. find another route to the gym in future

JimsAlterEgo

RoadRunner wrote: »

For their' own good we need to start treating the Travellers like the rest of the irish citizens. They were caught on camera this time and they need to be properly locked up, and made an example of. Society will benefit. I've seen them go at each other with pitchforks and axes outside the national boxing arena and they guards drove on past.

People need to know their limitations.

It should be the priority of the incoming government to act on this. Just the same as the dirty politicians and bankers on the other end of the scale.

don't waste the money, put them on an island and let them settle their differences

mike kelly

JimsAlterEgo wrote: »

don't waste the money, put them on an island and let them settle their differences

...they are living on an island

Run_to_da_hills

"Big fat gypsy shoot-out".

I like the headline.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1363753/Chaos-traveller-horse-fair-hundreds-flee-shoot-feud-got-hand.html