Image from admanchester
This is the second part of a two part series (here is part 1) featuring some amazing images of the Smithfield Horse Market & Fair in Dublin, Ireland.
A Monthly Tradition
The market is held on the first Sunday of every month and during that time the market is flooded with horses and those looking to buy and sell them. This monthly spectacle has been a tradition for the last 200 years or so.
Capturing The Moment
The images below do a great job of capturing horses in an urban setting and the obvious excitement that hangs in the air on market days.
Image from Andrea & Stefan
Image from Aylon
Image from JasonGoodger
Image from admanchester
Image from sbox
Image from admanchester
Image from admanchester
Image from admanchester
Image from admanchester
Packing Your Bags Yet?
This is an event that every horse lover should see, I hope to take my own pics of it someday. If you missed part 1, but sure to check it out too.
You forget to mention that the residents and the locals DESPISE the fair, which is currently creating a filthy chaos outside as I type.
Animals in distress since before 6.30am… neglected nags… masses of filth everywhere… swarms of Gardai… haymaker punches being thrown in fights (as I saw myself, not half an hour ago)…
If you’re a certain type of horse lover, perhaps you can find much to admire in all that… aggressive bedlam. But the horse owners I know get upset when they talk about the Fair; say they won’t go, because of the state of the animals, and what happens to them; and, as I said, the Smithfield residents, and locals, really, really dislike the fair with a passion.
To give a balanced opinion, after praising it so much, you should leave this local opinion as well.
Absolutely & thanks for sharing Shane. Often things are not as they appear and I like to share balanced info with my readers.
Anyone who wants to visit the fair should be fully aware of what will await them…and there is no one better to tell them than a local resident.
Hi,J ust read Shane’s comments. Here’s an account of some of the animal cruelty that I saw at Smithfield.
http://hubpages.com/hub/Animal-cruelty-Smithfield-Horse-Market
Like everything there are two sides to the argument and the fare does capture some romance from Ireland’ horse heritage.
I don’t have any sympathy for the residents living in the newly built flats though. The market has happened for over 400 years and it shouldn’t stop just because people who’ve moved into some new luxury apartments don’t like it!
smithfield market is a disgrace ,it results in hundreds of dead horses across dublin starving .and a slow and painful deaths .scum selling horses to kids with no land
its noting to do with apartment owners ,or council ,,it the fact the sell horse for 20 euro to kids ,,who can hardly be feed at home never mind ,,feed horses the horses are dying of drought in summer and of starvation in winter it need to go asap
I think the horse fair in Smithfield is fascinating.. At last the council are getting their act together in realising that the love for horses will not go away. During the week I went to the old dump on dunsink lane in Finglas where hundreds of horses have been running wild for some time. The plan was for owners to bring their horses to a site to get their horses tagged and seen to by a vet and to round up wild and stray horses for attention, the poorly horses were sent to a farm run by the council… Working with the horse traders is the only way forward. Have to say most of the kids and teenagers were a joy to talk to…. As far as Smithfield is concerned, the fair has been there for a long time and hopefully it will be there for a long time to come…. The new residents will have to stop moaning and get out there and get the blood pumping back into the heart of the city… I believe the residents also put the damper on concerts on the plaza, I saw the Buena Vista Social club there a few years ago, excellent night, any other city and we would be raving about this, alas not Dublin. I also believe the residents were instrumental of ridding Smithfield of it’s only greenery, trees etc, due to ant-social behaviour.. How ridiculous….. Long live Smithfield Horse Fair.. Tony
I think the horse fair is very cruel nobody is thinking of the poor horses they are mostly in bad condition it is not fair for them also the square is tiny and it is way to small to have hundreds of horses shoved in there. The horses are going to kick and sombody is going to get very hurt or killed by this and don’t blame the horses it’s the owners falt for putting there horses in there it is so cruel and it is to small for all thoses horses. I think it should be got rid of completely.
Does anyone watch TV3 animal welfare progrmme, well this market shows up how little care is given to the animals by the people who sell and buy these poor horses and ponies.