Milk Market

[CologneMike]

Construction of Tensile Roof Structure over existing open market area, Restaurant and Mezzanine Floor and other modifications and associated works.

This planning proposal has been successful with both the City Council and with An Bord Pleanála.

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[CologneMike]

History Snippet

John’s Gate and Mungret Gate gave access to a wider hinterland than the island gates, and were probably the location of the biggest markets. Street names such as Cabbage Street and White Wine Lane (where white wine was the colloquial name for milk) suggest the location of markets. Again the date at which the names were applied is unknown and may reflect seventeenth and eighteenth century activities for which there is corroborative evidence.

The Milk Market, formally a corn market, is the only open market area to survive. Located under the town wall, just within Mungret Gate, this enclosure illustrates the influence the gates had on the topography of the town. Every Saturday this market area, probably mediaeval in origin and protected by an ancient law, is still the scene of a busy market where Limerick citizens can buy the freshly grown produce of local farmers and market gardeners.

Book ~ The Building of Limerick ~ Judith Hill (1991)

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[CologneMike]

History Snippet

Described in 1865 by a German visitor as ‘having almost nothing to be seen but old clothes hung up for sale, swinging in the wind; in front, in the quadrangle, was the principal commercial article, buttermilk, brought here in large pails on donkey-carts and drunk by the thirsty populace from large tin bowls’.

The market place in 1906 had changed little. Built in 1829 in Cornmarket Row, the enclosed market remains one of the city’s most colourful attractions.

Book ~ Limerick in old picture postcards~ Jim Kemmy / Larry Walsh (1997)

Limerick Museum: see original

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[CologneMike]

State of Dereliction (late 1970’s)

Despite its run down appearance then, the Saturday market day was always well visited.

Limerick Museum: see original

[CologneMike]

Conservation ~ Restoration (1994)

Architects Murray O'Laoire

Conservation and restoration of an existing historic building for use as a retail market space, providing for 17 permanent shops and 30 covered or open stalls in the courtyard.

The project was exhibited in the 1994 RIAI Regional Awards and published in the catalogue the 'Preservation of the European Commission Architectural Heritage' 1992.

In 1998, the project received a Commendation in the RIAI Conservation Medal Award for the period 1987-1992.

The regional and touristic importance of the market is emphasised by it's continuing use as a weekly general market with an emphasis on horticultural produce from small holders, including fruit, vegetables, plants, home-made foods etc. This is of particular interest and attraction to visitors, tourists and compliments the recent completion of nearby urban renewal restoration and tourism projects, including the Arthur's Quay Centre, Park and Tourist Office, together with Cruises Street.

The overall concept is one of faithful restoration of the original form of the market as far as possible. However, the new pattern of uses such as the lock-up shops and the more formal layouts of the stalls in the courtyard and the more public use of the market house will have physical implications. The design, detailing and selection of materials was handled in a subtle and sensitive way so that the original ambience of the market was retained.

[Tuborg]

Originally Posted by CologneMike

State of Dereliction (late 1970’s)

Despite its run down appearance then, the Saturday market day was always well visited.

Limerick Museum: see original

Just looking at the full size image, it would appear that it was taken some time between 1989 and 1991. If you look closely you can see that Arthur's Quay has been completed in the background and also just visible in the centre background, is the Denmark Street area pre-Cruises Street.

Im not old enough to remember what the city was like in the late 80s/early 90s but the scale of dereliction in this image is pretty shocking. Its unfortunate though that a couple of fine buildings along the Robert Street side of the market were sacrifificed as part of that awful cornmarket square development!

It would be interesting to see more images of the city from this period, just as the urban renewal scheme was kicking in.

[gunter]

The fragments of 18th / 19th century streetscape that remain in the vicinity of the Milk Market retain a lot of character.


'The Round House' corner is a particular gem.


. . . but most of the '80s and 90s stuff is truely hopeless

[CologneMike]

Originally Posted by Tuborg

Just looking at the full size image, it would appear that it was taken some time between 1989 and 1991. If you look closely you can see that Arthur's Quay has been completed in the background and also just visible in the centre background, is the Denmark Street area pre-Cruises Street.

Tuborg, you are right, I see the Arthur’s Quay Shopping Centre now.

Hmmm the museum catalogued it as early 1975 / late 1990.

Originally Posted by gunter

The fragments of 18th / 19th century streetscape that remain in the vicinity of the Milk Market retain a lot of character.

'The Round House' corner is a particular gem.

A nice shot Gunter, looking down High Street towards the market. One could imagine ‘Mungret Gate’ and the city walls at the bottom.

. . . but most of the '80s and 90s stuff is truely hopeless

An understatement!

The Cornmarket multi-storey car park or the poor refurbishment of the Watergate flats complex spring to mind.

[Tuborg]

Originally Posted by gunter

The fragments of 18th / 19th century streetscape that remain in the vicinity of the Milk Market retain a lot of character.

'The Round House' corner is a particular gem.

. . . but most of the '80s and 90s stuff is truely hopeless

Redevelopment has by and large proved to be a dismal failure alright! Its such a pity because the area around the market, watergate, even stretching down to the art college, has enormous potential as a cultural/entertainment quarter.

At the moment, its just a haphazard mess of extraordinarily dull office & apartment buildings, industrial warehousing etc. But with a bit of vision and possibly an urban design competition, the area could be transformed! Unfortunately though, you wont find much vision in Limerick City Council.

I suppose one can only hope that the opera centre might prove to be a catalyst for the rejuvenation of the wider area, provided it gets off the ground of course!

[Tuborg]

Originally Posted by CologneMike

Tuborg, you are right, I see the Arthur’s Quay Shopping Centre now.

Hmmm the museum catalogued it as early 1975 / late 1990.

Yeah they often get their dates mixed up, but its to be expected I suppose, given the volume of material in the online catalogue.

Photographs of the market and surrounding area are hard enough to come by, but I found this one, dated between 1968-1972.


"Photograph, b/w print. In the Streets, Limerick; by Ursula Hutt, 1968-72. In perspex frame. View looking up High Street, from pavement of Mungret St., opposite Milk Market. Feathery Burke's shop on corner on right side of High St., on left name only partly visible, .. urley/ Victualler. Cars parked down High Street and that part of Cornmarket Row which is visible. Street and pavements wet with rain."

City Museum

[Tuborg]

Green light for Market plan

Marie Hobbins

IT’S now official...work on the promised major refurbishment of Limerick’s Milk Market will get underway no later than September.

With full planning permission secured and the one appeal against the development turned down by An Bord Pleanala, business man and member of the Market Trustees, David O’Mahony, has confirmed to the Limerick Post that they are in the process of finalising the documentation to go to tender.

“We are looking at no later than September to commence, with completion by March or April. The work involved is pretty straightforward - phase one will be the removal of the old cobbles and the installation of groundwork facilities - water, electricity, stalls, etc and then move to phase two, which will be tensile roof structure”. Asked if it is necessary to remove the centuries old cobbles, he pointed out that regulations applicable to the trade of food produce call for certain requirements and standards to comply with Health and Safety standards.

“There are new obligations on traders and greater expectations of customers in this area,” he said.

Confirming that the market will close during the period of development, Mr O’Mahony, who ruled out the Potato Market as an alternative temporary market site, revealed the traders will be relocated to an alternative site within the locality.

“There will also have to be some readjustment for the casual traders - those traders who operate in the designated area outside the walls of the Milk Market and Limerick City Council, which has responsibility for these traders, are currently looking at this - the council is being very attentive to all the interests in the area”. He gave a firm assurance that the finance is in place for the project.

Limerick Chamber chief executive, Maria Kelly, who is also secretary of the Market Trustees, said the redevelopment will offer six-day opening, a much wider range of facilities, stalls, produce, arts and crafts, specialities and daily attractions for shopper.,

“It will trigger huge interest in this part of the city - the potential there is amazing and while there will still be an open air feel to it, the tensile roof structure will offer protection from the elements.

“Despite the delays involved in getting the Opera retail Development up and running, the good news from the developers is that they are one hundred per cent behind it and when it does get underway, both developments will flow into each other. City Council is looking at this area in terms of the public realm and is working closely with us.”

[CologneMike]

It will be interesting to see how the future market will shape out.

It seems the trend for whole, organic and delicatessen food produce will be characteristic under the planned tensile roof.

What will happen to the “old traditional stalls” of local produce like cabbages, turnips, carrots, parsnips?

Looking at some of the images below its amazing to see how much stall space is lost to vans, cars, trailers on market day.

It also seems a lot of the shop units in the walls of the market remained closed inside and only open to the street outside.

Will this change?

It is interesting that the market can be broken into three sections.

• The Limerick City Council regulates the street stalls on Cornmarket Row, Robert Street, Carr Street and in front of the Watergate Flats.
  
• A number of the units in the Market walls are privately owned.
  
• The Limerick Market Trustees regulates the market stalls within the walls and I presume own some of the units as well.

Will they all pull together?

Photos from Munsterbuiness.ie

[CologneMike]

MILK MARKET MAKE-OVER UNDERWAY IN COMING WEEKS (live95fm)

28 October 2009

Limerick City Centre has been given a major boost with the announcement that the re-development of the Milk Market is due to begin in the coming weeks.

The 2 million euro project will be done in three phases with the works expected to be completed by the summer of next year.

The Milk Market is one of the oldest in the country and when completed will become a 6 day market.

Chairman of Limerick Market Trustees David O'Mahony is confident the upgrade will lead to benefits for the entire city. . . Hear audio

Hmmmm. . . . originally the Milk Market was to get underway no later than September.

[Contraband]

I saw that in today's paper. It's a pity that it'll have to be closed during the construction, but great that it'll result in a 6-day market. Does anybody have any images of what the new development will look like?

[Tuborg]

Originally Posted by CologneMike

MILK MARKET MAKE-OVER UNDERWAY IN COMING WEEKS

Hmmmm. . . . originally the Milk Market was to get underway no later than September.

We can only hope that work does indeed get going as soon as possible because my god does the city centre need a boost!

Take a look at the proposed project timeline here

[KeepAnEyeOnBob]

Will this not just result in it becoming some sort of grotty little mini-shopping mall?

Surely it will lose the very traits that make it an attraction at present?

[foinse]

Originally Posted by KeepAnEyeOnBob

Will this not just result in it becoming some sort of grotty little mini-shopping mall?

Surely it will lose the very traits that make it an attraction at present?

I would hope it would take on a role like the indoor market in Cork, can't remember what it's called.

[reddy]

Originally Posted by KeepAnEyeOnBob

Will this not just result in it becoming some sort of grotty little mini-shopping mall?

Surely it will lose the very traits that make it an attraction at present?

I'm kinda disappointed by this as well. Thought it'd just be the same set up - ie stalls and vans etc with a beautiful tensile roof soaring above. Ah well - maybe its just the terrible quality of those images.

[Tuborg]

In fairness, you can't judge the merits of any project based on renders alone, be they good or bad! Admittedly the images above don't look too inspiring but Im willing to wait for the roof to go up before making a call. Hopefully we won't end up with something that resembles a circus tent anyway!

The simple facts are that the Milk Market is not fulfilling its potential currently and surely anything that seeks to maximise it's attractiveness has to be welcomed? Is it not better to give this plan a go rather than doing nothing at all?

[reddy]

Ah yeah its great for this to be goin ahead - might make the market a bit more of a real fixture in the life of the city. Just suprised that they were building anything inside the structure.

[Griff]

Originally Posted by foinse

I would hope it would take on a role like the indoor market in Cork, can't remember what it's called.

Presume you mean the English market... I dont think this will be the case. In Cork this market is accessible from Patrick St,Grand Parade and Oliver Plunkett St... so is really in the heart of things - the Milk market would want to be located off Thomas st to have same availability to passing shoppers. Still though it doesnt have copy another market to work - it just not a great time for any business in the city centre at the moment!

[Contraband]

I wouldn't worry about the style of the Milk Market changing. I have a friend who works at a stall in the Milk Market and the only thing she said was that business would be moving to Ellen street for about a year, and then after the renovations are done its back to the Milk Market. I'm fairly confident it'll remain a 'stall market.'

[Tuborg]

Yeah the stalls are being moved to Ellen Street from the instore corner upwards and onto Carr Street aswell. Pretty drab and dreary surroundings but it has to be done I suppose!

Limerick's Milk Market plan gets off the ground (Limerick Leader)

THE Milk Market, which attracts traders from across the county and beyond, will temporarily move to nearby Ellen Street in the city as construction work is set to begin.
From November 7 next, the market will literally move on to the street as contractors L & M Keating Ltd move on site for the €2m development project.

Limerick's Milk Market is one of the oldest in the country, dating back to 1852, and by next year will become a six-day market, rather than operating for six hours each Saturday.

Under the new plans it will see it facilities upgraded to benefit traders, shoppers and the economy of the greater Limerick area.

It is estimated that the newly upgraded facility will have the potential to increase footfall at the Milk Market by over 50 per cent per week when it reopens in mid-2010. It is also planned to make this historic venue available for other events such as Christmas markets, food fairs and classical concerts.

David O'Mahony, chairman of the Market Trustees, said their aim is to have the Milk Market recognised as the "outstanding example of best practice in market operations in Ireland and beyond." The opening of the market next year is expected to be "a national event", and those in the food industry, including Darina Allen and Minister for Food Trevor Sargent, have supported the ideals behind the new market.

A seasonal calendar of events and stalls for the market is now being prepared, which will see a diversity of new and old traders attend on different days of the week, excluding Monday when the market will be closed.

However, some traders and regular visitors have concerns about the impact this modernation will have. Clarina resident and artist Jim O'Farrell, who has sketched numerous scenes of the market, is encouraging all Limerick people to "come out on Saturday and see the old market for the last time."