The Shame of Smithfield

[SnailTrain]

I said that I would post here no more, due to constant attacks from a certain poster, who made it clear that my type of vision and aspirations are not welcome. No doubt on seeing my name, they will now resurface like a starved maggot to resume their pathetic raving.

I am only returning to start this one thread, and will NOT engage in any debate over it. I call it The Shame of Smithfield. For me this symbolises everything that is wrong with this place.

I seldom visit Smithfield now, because it makes me extremely angry and very sad at the same time. I was there last Saturday and the place is now SO totally dire and shocking that it needs highlighting, and blame needs to be assigned.

In a site where folk "ooh and ahh" over the latest glass coated tower, the silence over the destruction of a unique, historical community in the heart of our city is deafening.

Here is a place that was full of vibrant life, with every type of shop, business, and a living community. First the Provos burnt the historic market, but since then the rest of it has been systematically demolished.

Gone - the Pet shops. Gone - the Elephant Bar (plus who knows how many more) Gone - the rows of terraced houses. Gone - the elegance rubbing shoulders with the brick-a-brack. Gone - the tumble down second hand clothes shop on Winetavern Street where my best friend used to live.


Shame on all those who have been complicit in reducing a unique, historic area into that of a dismal lumpy car park.

For those who don't know or remember:
http://smithfieldmarket.rushlightmagazine.com/

[937delta]

I think the Castlecourt completely destroyed the area, and not happy with their vandalism they want to finish the job off and carry the urban cancer through to North Street. Terminal 1 complete, terminal 2 about to begin. If you look at an old aerial photo of Belfast areas like smithfield, north street etc was a rabbit warren of streets with individual character buildings etc. Now Belfast is starting to look like a Heathrow from the air with vast areas of covered metal deck roofs.

[G2GAP]

Originally Posted by 937delta

I think the Castlecourt completely destroyed the area, and not happy with their vandalism they want to finish the job off and carry the urban cancer through to North Street. Terminal 1 complete, terminal 2 about to begin. If you look at an old aerial photo of Belfast areas like smithfield, north street etc was a rabbit warren of streets with individual character buildings etc. Now Belfast is starting to look like a Heathrow from the air with vast areas of covered metal deck roofs.

I think that's a great comparison delta (terminals) ... I think the unfortunate removal of Smithfield is as good as a done deal and it's a matter of when and not if Castle Court is extended.

[plank007]

Welcome back SnailTrain.

I never go near Smithfield. Very seedy area – sex shops, casinos, gay bars etc.

What Castle Court did was criminal. It's like a fortress cutting itself of from everything. We are lucky to even have a glass façade on Royal Avenue.

The IRA never blew it up because the social security offices are in Castle Court and they wouldn’t have gotten their benefits imo.

[saoró...]

Sad alright, seemed like the place had character.

Originally Posted by plank007

Welcome back SnailTrain.

I never go near Smithfield. Very seedy area – sex shops, casinos, gay bars etc.

Whats seedy about a gay bar?

[SnailTrain]

Originally Posted by saoró...

Sad alright, seemed like the place had character.
Whats seedy about a gay bar?

Smithfield was a place where you could get anything. It boasted amongst other places Joe Kavanagh's shop sporting the first version in the world of this slogan "I buy anything" and he did. It also had several second hand record shops, lots of second hand book sellers. The closest equivalent in Dublin would have been the old Dandelion market, but that was only a shadow of Smith field at its heyday.

My friend's shop was Sadie McCann's second hand clothes. It's one of the few buildings left on Winetavern Street.

A huge, irreplaceable part of Belfast has been lost, and I can only imagine the obesity merchants of KFC etc circling the dismal car-park like vultures.

This is one of the reasons why I stopped posting here. No one seems to care about these issues. Bricks, mortar and glass are all the seems to count, and not the impact on communities, or the importance of making a better environment for folk to live in, and move around in.

This was exemplified in the number of attacks I suffered because I objected to tramping through giant puddles of standing water every time it rained, because we no longer have pavements that would help prevent these accumulations.

I've said all I need to say here. I see Belfast continuing to slide down the skids, because of a lack of real vision or imagination. Smithfield exemplifies all of this. So does a lack of a plan for a decent rapid transit system to take us in to the future. Happily I see great work being done in Dublin, where I have the pleasure of working and the privilege of owning a second home.

No one agrees with me, so I accept that I am the odd man out, and I'm gone. "It's been a sincere sensation and goodnight!"

[saoró...]

Hmmm, pity all right.

Ahm, but theres no point in being melodramatic about it, if it interests you to post here, then post here. The internet is not about agreeing with people.

[BenjiBear]

Originally Posted by SnailTrain

Smithfield was a place where you could get anything. It boasted amongst other places Joe Kavanagh's shop sporting the first version in the world of this slogan "I buy anything" and he did. It also had several second hand record shops, lots of second hand book sellers. The closest equivalent in Dublin would have been the old Dandelion market, but that was only a shadow of Smith field at its heyday.

My friend's shop was Sadie McCann's second hand clothes. It's one of the few buildings left on Winetavern Street.

A huge, irreplaceable part of Belfast has been lost, and I can only imagine the obesity merchants of KFC etc circling the dismal car-park like vultures.

This is one of the reasons why I stopped posting here. No one seems to care about these issues. Bricks, mortar and glass are all the seems to count, and not the impact on communities, or the importance of making a better environment for folk to live in, and move around in.

This was exemplified in the number of attacks I suffered because I objected to tramping through giant puddles of standing water every time it rained, because we no longer have pavements that would help prevent these accumulations.

I've said all I need to say here. I see Belfast continuing to slide down the skids, because of a lack of real vision or imagination. Smithfield exemplifies all of this. So does a lack of a plan for a decent rapid transit system to take us in to the future. Happily I see great work being done in Dublin, where I have the pleasure of working and the privilege of owning a second home.

No one agrees with me, so I accept that I am the odd man out, and I'm gone. "It's been a sincere sensation and goodnight!"

I'm sure you're right, but this is hardly something that has happened recently is it? Wasn't this area 'redeveloped' in the mid 1980s? Or is the point that you've just only seen it again recently?

[SLMCC Belfast]

SnailTrain I too agree that this area is a shame in Belfast and that Castle court was the a Frankenstein project for Belfast. I honestly think that Belfast should go through a period of rebuilding all that has been lost that would make a positive contribution to the city. The building on Wellington Place that was fire bombed, the facade of the Grand Central and the Avenue, GPO etc. I also firmly believe that there should be a concerted effort to get all the upper floors of every building in the city centre converted to residential and have the office/storage space that exists currently moved elsewhere. People here are enamored with new york loft living... they would pay for an apartment in the robinson and cleaver building, they might not pay for a red brick nightmare with a few rendered spots here and there - testament to this is the cost of the somerset studios off the dublin road... their average price is a good bit higher than the city centre average because people here like to buy into the citys history - we are not daft and loaded, we are crafty and frugal - a period apartment is worth the expense and it would so greatly help the citys night atmosphere and people who live there might start to become more critical over how it looks...

[plank007]

Originally Posted by saoró...

Sad alright, seemed like the place had character.



Whats seedy about a gay bar?

[belfastuniguy]

Originally Posted by saoró...

Whats seedy about a gay bar?

He's homophobic, that's why he finds them seedy.

[Viking74]

Dunno about Belfast , but none of our Gay bars in Dublin are quite like that!

[Death by Milkfloat]

The Electric Six song is a great tune though hehe

Here's a famous quote that I think is quite apt for this thread. It's not aimed at anyone in particular – so no hissy fits, but I do think it applies to some more than others...

"Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain... and most fools do."
Benjamin Franklin

[plank007]

Originally Posted by belfastuniguy

He's homophobic, that's why he finds them seedy.

doubt it.

[SnailTrain]

Originally Posted by Death by Milkfloat

The Electric Six song is a great tune though hehe

Here's a famous quote that I think is quite apt for this thread. It's not aimed at anyone in particular – so no hissy fits, but I do think it applies to some more than others...

"Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain... and most fools do."
Benjamin Franklin

(how could I ignore that)
"If your head is wax, don't walk in the sun"

Benjamin Franklin

[plank007]

Originally Posted by Viking74

Dunno about Belfast , but none of our Gay bars in Dublin are quite like that!

no that’s just a typical Friday night at uniguys mansion in cultra