History

The following is a brief history of the Limerick Market Trustees. A full history of Limerick Markets and the Limerick Market Trustees will be published in 2010 in tandem with the reopening of the redeveloped Milk Market. If you have information, pictures, stories of the Milk Market, or other Limerick markets which you would like to share please contact us. See the Contact Us tab.

In the 1840s there was a belief that the dispersal of markets throughout the city, their fitness for purpose, and their general constitution and management, did not work best for the City. Against this back drop the Limerick Market Trustees was set up to expand and manage the affairs of markets within the city boundary and one mile beyond.

The Limerick Market Trustees was set up by an Act of the British Parliament, passed in 1852. It consisted of representatives from three corporate bodies, the Corporation, the County Grand Jury and the Chamber of Commerce. In total each body elected 9 representatives who would serve on the board for a twelve month period. The first board of Trustees was elected in July 1853 and the first chairman of the Limerick Market Trustees was John Croker of Ballynagarde who represented the County Grand Jury.

In order to fulfil their charter the Trustees set about raising finance. Some of this finance was raised by the issuing of bonds and other finance was raised by way of a loan from the National Bank in 1853. The Trustees acquired a large parcel of land in the Garryowen area of the city where many of the markets were relocated and the original market properties were disposed of. The Butter Market, the Pig Market and the Hay Market were transferred to the new market area but the Potato Market and the Corn Market (latterly known as the Milk Market) were retained. The Linen Hall, however, was an early victim of commercial change as the Linen industry in North Munster collapsed after the Famine, mainly on account of the fact that many of the Linen Mills were adapted for the grinding of Indian Corn which was brought in for Famine Relief.

In 1858 the National Bank transferred the mortgage to the Economic Life Assurance Society and the Trustees were required to service this mortgage by agreed payments. In 1897, however, the Trustees defaulted in their payments to the Society, who immediately sought a court judgement against the Limerick Market Trustees. This court action triggered a number of other claims against the Trustees, primarily by Thomas Usbourne who was one of the original bond holders and who may also have provided private mortgage facilities to the Trustees. Eventually, in 1898, after the intervention of Limerick Corporation a receiver was appointed by the Court of Chancery to manage the affairs of the Market Trustees. Limerick Corporation now effectively became the official Receiver for the Market Trustees.

The Limerick Market Trustees were to continue in this economic limbo for ninety years during which time huge economic change occurred. With the acquisition of land for market purposes in the Garryowen area during the 1850s and 1860s the main focus of the activities of the Limerick Market Trustees moved to that area although it still continued markets in the present day Milk Market. The advent of co-operative creameries effectively spelled the end of the open marketing of butter on a large scale. The pig market went into decline long before Limerick’s four bacon factories closed their doors. The Hay market became a victim of the improved means of motorised transport and it came to an end in the 1930s. A vibrant cattle market was instituted, however, and this lasted well into the 1970s. The Potato Market lasted into the 1940s before it also became redundant.

The Corn Market or Milk Market, however, continued to thrive even if the nature of the produce traded there had changed. During the years of World War II the Milk Market began to thrive as the other markets went into decline. In addition to the sale of fruit and vegetables there was a lively trade in fowl, home made butter and home made breads and cakes. It was not until the 1950s that the market for bedding plants and shrubs began to take root and this range of produce expanded rapidly in the 1960s. Another feature of the Market during this period was the Christmas market for turkeys. Turkeys were purchased killed, cleaned and plucked in the market right up until EU health regulations began to take effect.

All that time and, regardless of the market activity, the Limerick Market Trustees remained in receivership

In 1982 Limerick Corporation sought a new site for the city fire brigade as the existing premises in Thomas Street was found to be unsuitable because of the traffic flow in the city centre. Because the City Manager was the instigator of the purchase the price to be paid had to be set by independent arbitration. The final sum agreed was in the region of €508,000. This was a sum sufficient to pay off the outstanding debts of the Market Trustees. In February 1988 the receivership was terminated having gone into the record books as the longest receivership in Irish commercial history. Following the release of the Trustees from receivership an ambitious renovation of the Milk Market was undertaken. This project won a European Heritage Award and it was reopened on September 1st 1995. In keeping with the need to adapt to changing requirements the Trustees have undertaken to redevelop the Milk Market. Details of this work can be found under the Development Plan tab.