Smithfield, Pedestrian square in north inner city Dublin, Ireland
Smithfield is a large pedestrian square in Dublin's north inner city, paved with old cobblestones and bordered by a mix of brick buildings and newer apartment blocks. The square is long and open, with cafes and bars along its edges and the chimney tower of the former Jameson distillery rising above the rooftops nearby.
Smithfield was laid out as a market in the 17th century and served for a long time as one of Dublin's main places for trading livestock, horses, and goods. In the 1990s, a city renewal program transformed the square: the cobblestones were lifted, cleaned by hand, and relaid, and new gas-flame lamps were installed.
The name Smithfield comes from an old English term meaning a field used for trade, and the square still holds horse fairs on the first Sundays of March and September. On those days, the cobblestones fill with animals, sellers, and onlookers in a way that feels unlike anything else in the city center.
The square is easy to reach by the Luas Red Line tram, which stops right next to it and connects it directly to the city center and beyond. On foot, it is only a short walk from the river, making it simple to combine with a visit to the nearby Four Courts or the old Jameson distillery site.
The gas-flame lamps installed during the 1990s renovation are lit only on special occasions, such as St. Patrick's Day or during LGBTQ+ festivals, so most visitors never see them burning. The area also served as a film set in the 1960s, when parts of Smithfield were used to represent Checkpoint Charlie in a spy film featuring Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor.
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