THE BIGGEST open market that Dublin has seen since the demise of the Dandelion 30 years ago will open this morning in the Docklands.
The Point Village Market will occupy the site around the O2 which opened 18 months ago. It will run every weekend all year around.
Owner Harry Crosbie said he wanted it to be modelled on the medieval squares of Europe and has asked for ideas from the public to make it vibrant.
More than 100 stallholders have been confirmed for the opening day. Students and the public will be able to sell their wares for free on a first-come first-served basis by applying for one of the 30 available stalls through the market’s website.
There will be a music stage every weekend with an ensemble of musicians from the Dublin City Soul Festival providing the first entertainment and a Theatre of Food marquee, which will feature contributions from Clodagh McKenna and Donal Skehan among others this weekend.
Mr Crosbie said the market was conceived as part of the ongoing regeneration of the site which he bought 22 years ago for just £800,000.
It is being billed as a market for “everything that the Celtic Tiger forgot” and he hoped it would help to raise morale by creating a civic space for artists, musicians and performers.
The 250-bed Gibson Hotel, which overlooks the market, will open next month and an eight-screen cinema will also open this summer. However, a shopping centre has been put on hold.
