I live about five minutes walk from Smithfield Square [or Plaza] but I avoid the area because I find it to be unattractive and somewhat bleak.
The square and the associated public space should be a lot better than it is especially as Dublin City Council has spent a fortune on multiple re-inventions of the area. One issue has always been the impact of anti-social behaviour. I have two friends own purchased apartments on the square and they felt compelled to sell-up and move on because of multiple problems associate with day-to-day life in the area.
To be fair, the anti-social problems are no longer as bad as they were in they past but they still make the the area less than desirable.
Smithfield is an area on the Northside of Dublin. Its focal point is a public square, formerly an open market, now officially called Smithfield Plaza, but known locally as Smithfield Square or Smithfield Market.
Notable landmarks include the Old Jameson Whiskey Distillery and the Observation Tower.
Notable businesses include the children’s animation studio Brown Bag Films.
Historically, Smithfield was a suburb of Oxmantown and lay within the civil parish of St. Paul’s.[1] There is no general agreement on the extent of the area known as Smithfield, but it roughly incorporates the area bounded by the River Liffey to the south, Bow Street to the east, Queen Street to the west, and North Brunswick street in the suburb of Grangegorman to the north.
Commercial, residential and cultural developments led to the area becoming newly fashionable in the first decade of the 21st century. However, most notably in the period 2008 to 2010, stagnation set in as developments stalled and the Irish economy/property market nose-dived once the post-Celtic Tiger economic recession struck. The significant issues of variable apartment occupancy rates, coupled with closed retail spaces and a number of unfinished and unoccupied commercial units at Smithfield Market have created a highly visible reminder of the economic and community challenges still to be addressed in this historic part of Dublin.
There are only twelve MABS offices remaining in the greater Dublin Area and to the best of my knowledge the nearest office to Francis Street is now the one in Dorset street.
The Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) is a free, independent, confidential and non- judgmental money advice and budgeting service for all members of the public.
MABS primarily works with people experiencing over-indebtedness. MABS money advisers work with clients who may have difficulties with a wide range of personal debts including personal loans, mortgages, credit card debt, catalogue debts, debts to legal moneylenders and hire purchases.
Money advisers help clients by reviewing their budgets, negotiating with their creditors and looking at opportunities to maximise their income.
Money advisers also act as Approved Intermediaries under personal insolvency legislation for clients availing of a Debt Relief Notice. MABS has always dealt with mortgage and housing related debt and this is treated as a priority debt in MABS. MABS has an additional panel of over 30 Dedicated Mortgage Arrears Advisers to work with clients on their mortgage arrears issues.
MABS acts as the gateway to advice under the Abhaile scheme, which provides vouchers for clients to see Personal Insolvency Practitioners, legal or financial advisers. In addition, MABS supports clients at all of the repossession court sittings in the country as Court Mentors.
MABS has a remit in Money Management Education by advising clients about budgeting and debt management and facilitating group talks in schools and the community in relation to money management, good saving and spending habits, sources of credit and the avoidance of over-indebtedness.
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