Staying awake at Council meetings can be difficult at the best of times but with the added detachment of zoom and the dreariness of the proceedings, it is nigh on impossible to give them your full attention.
But when Labour Councillor Fiachra MacRaghnaill started talking last Monday at the Drogheda Borough meeting about his vision of a rejuvenated market at Bolton Square with facilities for outdoor eating I sat up and listened.
But then there was silence and the screen went blank. My broadband signal had dropped out.
In my mind I was back in the Plaza de Los Naranjos in old town Marbella, or Rome or Brussels or Nice. In fact almost any city in Europe where town squares function as markets during the mornings and places to eat and drink in the evenings.
Later I spoke with Councillor MacRaghnaill and he told me that he had asked the Council to include the market in the outdoor eating scheme, which is currently being developed around Drogheda.
He said that the Market at Bolton Square was chartered by the corporation in the 14th Century and it gets its name from Boulting Tower, which overlooked it on Patrick Street.
In a follow up email MacRaghnaill said, “Drogheda is traditionally a market town and the Bolton Square market is historically significant, dating back to the 14th Century.
“Every Drogheda person growing up will remember how vibrant and busy it was. It was the heart of the town, where you would chat with others while picking up your bits and pieces. It saddens me to see that it’s on its knees.”
He said that he had identified four simple steps by which the Council could revitalise the market.
“These include a user friendly streamlined application process for new stall holders, access to toilets for stall holders in the old corporation building, the provision of power points to facilitate card machines, food trucks and beverage stalls, and supplying access of temporary seating with umbrellas/awnings for shelter which can be stored away outside of market days” he said.
“I have been speaking with stall holders to assess the key issues and researching successful models, in Ireland and abroad” he said.
“In post Covid Ireland we are seeing the value in providing community social settings outdoors. A revitalised market would provide the ideal opportunity for small new start-up businesses, and, when in conjunction with larger projects like the West Gate rejuvenation plan, it will bring life back into the town for locals and has the potential to attract visitors.
“I envision Bolton Square to be a place where you could come on a Saturday, sit on picnic tables having a coffee or grabbing a bite to eat from a food truck before picking up your flowers, or fresh veg.”
Councillor MacRaghnaill’s vision may not quite match my dream and I suppose the difference in climate means that Bolton Square will never become the next Plaza de Los Naranjos or Mercato Campo de’ Fiori, but the market cannot be allowed to continue on the downward trajectory it has been on for some years now.
