Market on the canal to be axed

Cienciano

Most of the complaints are ridiculous, i mean "noise"? Or someone might trip?

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/consumer/grand-canal-weekly-market-at-mount-street-bridge-axed-1.3042848?mode=amp

L1011

Poor shops can't take competition

Rakish Paddy

The cheek of Donnybrook Fair to be complaining - their prices are nothing short of criminal!

Teyla Emmagan

That's nonsense. I worked right by it for 6 months. You'd hardly have even known it was there on a Friday. There was no noise and the place was always clean. And no one would walk from there up to Baggot st to use the loo, it's too far. This is nothing but protectionism. They'll all be closed at this rate!

athtrasna

Will it relocate?

Those steak sandwiches can't just be snatched from my fine Fridays so cruelly!

tomwaits48

Shame, although in fairness the queues are always ridiculous

beauf

L1011 wrote: »

Poor shops can't take competition

Talking to one of the smaller shops a few years back. they said it killed their lunchtime trade which was already struggling. The real issue is probably massive rents in the area.

I always thought the market was a great idea, was a great buzz. It was only one lunchtime. On a summers day it was really pleasant. Especially with someone playing the guitar etc.

They could re locate to the nearby park. Or a road near by. It was a bit cramped on the canal. There another at the ifsc which is much better since it moved to a park.

Very pricey for food though. I can't imagine anyone eating there every week.

Those markets are a great idea though. Brings life back into the city.

ThisRegard

I once had an office that was right across from the market when it was at the Mount Street bridge. Someone said above it was basically a collection of fast food stalls, in a way it was, albeit some of them very nice.

It did bring plenty of additional traffic and the parking problems that came with it. It also did make a bit of a mess of the place, particularly on a wet day, despite the mats they put down. I can see the reason behind most of the objections, particularly in relation to the fact it's supposed to bean area to preserve, provide for and improve it as a recreational area, open space and green infrastructure.

odyssey06

I assume friday would have been a nice little earner for the local restaurants etc people who go out for lunch once a week on a friday.
If the market is 'scooping' up this trade sweeping in once a week it could push them over the edge.
Better for the local area (and the DCC rates collection) if the cafes and restaurants are able to stick around for the long haul...
So perhaps another day would have been more suitable where it was generating new economic activity as opposed to displacing it...

beauf

That market used to move around its on the next bridge down another day, down near Google the next then near New Central Bank etc. Dunno if its still the same.

helimachoptor

I go to the thursday one pretty regularly (work on burlington road) hopefully that isnt lost aswell

ThisRegard

beauf wrote: »

That market used to move around its on the next bridge down another day, down near Google the next then near New Central Bank etc. Dunno if its still the same.

Yeah, Fridays at Mount Street, up around Baggot Street some day earlier in the week.

Samuel T. Cogley

Love it this boils down to one thing and one thing only. Couldn't get parked outside my posh house.

ThisRegard

Nope, very little to do with that.

ScottSF

Very disappointing to hear the news! It was popular and crowded most every time I walked by, especially of course when the sun was mostly shining. From what I could tell, at least some of the food stalls were small businesses just getting their start. I imagine it's a low-cost way to test out a restaurant idea with actual customers. I'd call Spar and McDonalds "fast food", not the lunch market.

Noise was hardly an issue as far as I ever noticed. And it's not like there are sooo many lunch places within walking distance. Perhaps if they required the "lunch market" to have at least 2 or 3 "farmers market" vendors selling fruits and vegetables and breads and such, that would make it easier to get permission to continue the Friday market. Plus a porta-loo or two

L1011

beauf wrote: »

Talking to one of the smaller shops a few years back. they said it killed their lunchtime trade which was already struggling. The real issue is probably massive rents in the area.

Offer the same boring tripe every day and you'll lose business any time there's something new. IFSC version of this clearly does in business for nearly everywhere *except* the burrito place - although I prefer the market burittos.

mcgratheoin

Anybody seen a published decision on this, I couldn't find one on the DCC website? I never knew that the licence was up for renewal, I'd imagine that there may have been more submissions in favour of the market had it been more widely known. I would be interested in seeing a full list of objections.

It also seems odd timing given that DCC just published an action plan on Dublin Markets that is pretty supportive of the concept in general.

https://www.dublincity.ie/councilmeetings/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=150&MId=2151

wattlendaub

So does anyone know if the market is cancelled today, or will it still be on? :O

JTMan

Grand Canal Market is to continue despite DCC objections. http://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/grand-canal-market-to-continue-despite-council-misgivings-1.3048001

wakka12

odyssey06 wrote: »

I assume friday would have been a nice little earner for the local restaurants etc people who go out for lunch once a week on a friday.
If the market is 'scooping' up this trade sweeping in once a week it could push them over the edge.
Better for the local area (and the DCC rates collection) if the cafes and restaurants are able to stick around for the long haul...
So perhaps another day would have been more suitable where it was generating new economic activity as opposed to displacing it...

Why should a settled business be more deserving of the local lunchtime trade than a market stall is? Business is a competition, if people are going to the stall for lunch rather than your own restaurant its because what you're selling isn't deemed as good quality or you are over pricing your product

odyssey06

wakka12 wrote: »

Why should a settled business be more deserving of the local lunchtime trade than a market stall is? Business is a competition, if people are going to the stall for lunch rather than your own restaurant its because what you're selling isn't deemed as good quality or you are over pricing your product

I would imagine a settled business is more deserving of support from DCC's perspective... someone who pays rates etc 7 days a week instead of 1.

Cienciano

ThisRegard wrote: »

It did bring plenty of additional traffic and the parking problems that came with it. It also did make a bit of a mess of the place, particularly on a wet day, despite the mats they put down. I can see the reason behind most of the objections, particularly in relation to the fact it's supposed to bean area to preserve, provide for and improve it as a recreational area, open space and green infrastructure.

None of them are really valid objections to me considering its for 2 hours a week. It does improve the canal as a recreational area.

HivemindXX

Cienciano wrote: »

None of them are really valid objections to me considering its for 2 hours a week. It does improve the canal as a recreational area.

I like these markets and hope they continue, however to say they are only there for two hours a week is not even close to accurate. The location on Mespil Road is probably the least suitable one they use that I'm aware of. There is significantly less space than other location.

The queues frequently block the canal side path completely and I would not be at all surprised to find that a combination of crowding a slippery wet grass has resulted in people taking a dip in the canal. This really only affects patrons though since the footpath on the road side is not much affected.

If they, meaning the organisers, are really not clearing up the litter their customers leave then they should be made to do so.

beauf

Even when busy you can easily walk around the market using the regular foot path.

Considering there is a park not 20m away in Wilton Pl I always wondered why they don't use that.

JTMan

Grand Canal market to close as Waterways Ireland drops loophole plan http://www.irishtimes.com/news/consumer/dublin-canal-market-to-shut-as-bid-to-save-it-fails-1.3096204

RobAMerc

the bricks and mortar businesses pay an absolute fortune in rates annually for very little in return.
They also trade through less busy times for a) service and b) its less hassle than shutting down and reopening.

So when the council come along and let a transient stall who doesnt pay anything near the same rates pop up in front of them just when they are about to hit pay dirt weekly - they dont like it, and rightly so.

What will happen is the bricks and mortar shops will close and folks will loose out on the amenity of having restaurants in the area. eg You'll only be able to eat in that area when everyone else does - people who need to eat outside the busy market times will be left with no where to go.

I am all for competition, but there is not a level playing field when the council are crippling one and allowing the other compete only at the most profitable times.