As the word ‘Casual’ suggests: not regular, permanent, or tightly regulated. This is an accurate description of many of the traders at Athy’s Tuesday market. They arrive each week without formal stalls, often selling from the backs of cars and vans, with items spread on the ground. From speaking with local punters, business owners, and other stakeholders, this is the single biggest complaint about the market. And from what I understand, coupled with the recent refurbishment of the Square, it is also the main driver behind the proposed new byelaws.

The majority of these casual traders are not full-time businesspeople. Many are part-timers attending the market for social reasons, while earning a little extra income. The proposed byelaws would require these casual part-time traders to pay annual fees, secure public liability insurance, hire accountants for bookkeeping and tax returns, and invest in permanent stalls. In short, they would lose the “casual” aspect of their trading and be forced to operate as fully registered businesses.

While this may sound like an appropriate outcome, the unintended consequence is clear: many of these one-day-a-week traders would find participation too bureaucratic, cumbersome and costly, and would simply stop attending. While this would address the untidiness of items strewn across the ground, I fear the effect on our beloved historic market would be far greater. In every town across Ireland where similar regulations have been introduced, the result has been either the complete closure of the market or its reduction to a shadow of its former self. Without casual traders, footfall falls dramatically, making it uneconomical for professional stallholders, who then leave for busier locations. The decline snowballs. Kildare town is a stark local example, but the same story can be told in Carlow town  and Kilkenny city; and indeed right across the country.

We must avoid repeating these mistakes in Athy. The newly refurbished Market Square deserves to remain the thriving hub of social activity for centuries to come. Our market has been central to the life of Athy since at least the late medieval period, comparable in age to the Grand Bazaar itself. Evidence even suggests informal trading in Athy predates the 1515 charter granted by Henry VIII at the request of the Earl of Kildare. In terms of longevity, it may even rival the Medinas of North Africa.

To impose byelaws now risks unintentionally destroying one of the most socially and culturally significant elements of our town. Around the world, markets such as the Bazaars of India and Asia, the Tianguis of Mexico, the flea markets of Belgium and France, and the car boot sales of the UK are being recognised as part of local cultural heritage, with many achieving UNESCO recognition. We need to protect our market in a similar fashion and ensure decisions on its future do not have unintended consequences that result in its decline or death.

While cost savings from reduced clean-up and maintenance may be put forward as justification for the byelaws, these savings will likely be offset by the administrative burden of regulation, permits, and weekly compliance enforcement. More importantly, such arguments pale beside the historical and cultural importance of our market.

Given the public outcry in recent weeks, I urge the Council to postpone the introduction of these byelaws. The desire to protect the newly refurbished Square and to project a positive image of Athy is entirely understandable, but the risk of unintentionally ending hundreds of years of culture and social history is too great.

I’d like to suggest instead that a more pragmatic approach be taken. The issue should be revisited during the drafting of the next Town Development Plan, when alternative sites and uses of lands adjacent to the Market Square can be more fully considered. As noted in a recent article in the Kildare Nationalist, the Abbeylands site adjacent to Emily Square may provide a more appropriate long-term solution.

Yours sincerely,

Clifford Reid