LAST UPDATE | 19 Jul 2019

DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL said it hopes that a “viable solution” can be found for the Dublin Flea Christmas Market, after organisers announced the popular event had been forced to close and will not be returning to the city later this year.  

The council confirmed to TheJournal.ie that it is “actively exploring” potential sites for the flea market.

In a Facebook post this morning, the Dublin Flea Market said it was being “discontinued” and that the organisers were “devastated”.

“Over the last six months we have tried our best to figure out the future of the market. We have applied for numerous grant applications, reached out to many organisations, individuals and public bodies for support,” the post said. 

Dublin Flea Market said that Point Square, which hosted the market in December last year, did not take a booking for 2019. The market ran at Point Square from 6-9 December and from 13-16 December 2018. 

Last year, the shopping centre described the market as comprising “140 amazing and unique stalls”. Point Square did not  respond to a request for comment from TheJournal.ie. 

The market said that after investigating various alternatives, all had proven too expensive and risky. 

“Our best option was hosting the market in a 4000 sq meter marquee in an outdoor city venue. However the costs of putting on an event of this scale in a marquee would force us to charge the public in at the door and hike up all the stall fees considerably,” it said. 

“We have come to the heavy realisation that there is insufficient infrastructure and support for an event of this type and scale in Dublin city,” the market added. 

Dublin City Council was one of the flea’s partners, alongside the Local Enterprise Office.

“It is unfortunate that the Dublin Christmas Flea has taken the decision to cease operations but we completely understand why. Locating a suitable alternative venue in the current property climate is extremely difficult, particularly for creative and cultural initiatives,” a Dublin City Council spokesperson said. 

The spokesperson said that Sharon Greene, one of the organisers of the flea, should be “applauded” for her efforts in adding to the “craft, creative and cultural fabric of the city during the Christmas period”. 

“We remain hopeful that this is not the end of the journey and that a viable solution can be found to allow the Dublin Christmas Flea Market to return,” the spokesperson added.

The Dublin Flea Market has moved around a lot in recent years. Alongside other markets, it was forced to vacate Newmarket Square in the Liberties in 2018. 

The market said that it had attracted 73,000 visitors last year. “The lack of support markets are receiving in the City is shocking; especially in the light that Dublin is historically a market town,” the post stated. 

“We worry that Dublin is steadily becoming more and more a commercial, corporate and tourist city with no space for grass root culture or creativity.”