I live nearby and I have been disappointed by every attempt to upgrade or redesign Smithfield Market [also known as Smithfield Square or Smithfield Plaza] and it would appear that such attempts have been impacted by anti-social behaviour but to be fair it would appear that things have improved somewhat during the last few years and especially since the banning of the traditional monthly horse fair. Personally I find the square, as a whole, to be visually unattractive but I certainly would recommend the Lighthouse Cinema.
SMITHFIELD MARKET MAY 2020
Smithfield was rejuvenated under the HARP (Historic Area Rejuvenation Plan). An architectural competition was held and won by McGarry NiEanaigh Architects in 1997. The restoration involved lifting more than 400,000 one hundred and twenty-year-old cobblestones, cleaning them by hand and re-laying them.