Dublin mayor seeks for Smithfield horse market to be banned following shooting - SEE POLL

Dublin mayor seeks for Smithfield horse market to be banned following shooting

Two men were injured after a shooting at Dublin's famous Smithfield horse fair on Sunday. The two men may have been involved in a feud involving two families thought to be from County Offaly.

Responding to the violence, which occurred in the midst of a crowd of about 4,500 people, the Lord Mayor of Dublin Gerry Breen said he will write to the new minister for justice requesting legislation to abolish the fair.

Dublin City Council and the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA) have also requested that the incoming Fine Gael government introduce emergency legislation to shut the market down.

Speaking on RTE, Ireland's national broadcaster, Breen said that violence underlined the unsuitability of the site for a horse fair.

"God forbid if the horses panicked because of the gun shots. We’ve a Luas tram line running through there and a lot of people," he told Morning Ireland on RTE. "It should be abolished. It’s a dangerous event nowadays and there are also significant animal rights issues."

Dublin City Council has sought the closure of the fair for over a decade, but it has been blocked by an ancient market right to hold sales on the land.

Smithfield has been a Dublin market area since the mid-17th century.