Castle Market’s red brick pavement to be permanently replaced with ‘beige coloured asphalt’

Fiona Frawley

castle market in dublin, with red brick pavement and pubs and restaurants on either side

The iconic red brick pavement of Dublin’s Castle Market is to be replaced with asphalt, as DDC have deemed the bricks to be an “unsuitable surface”.

Yesterday on Twitter, pictures emerged of resurfacing work under way at Castle Market, with fears that the red bricks could be permanently replaced.

That head of aesthetics role is clearly still up for grabs in DCC.

Tarmac going into Castle Market ?

? via @OmDiva1 pic.twitter.com/73ZwpnMx86

— Andrea Horan (@AndreaHoran) February 8, 2022

It has now been confirmed that the bricks will indeed permanently make way for a beige asphalt, due to “significant deterioration in the condition of the red brick pavers”.

In a statement to Lovin, Dublin City Council said:

There has been significant deterioration in the condition of the red brick pavers currently on Castlemarket due to constant loading from delivery trucks. This significant deterioration has caused bricks to loosen which has resulted in numerous trip hazards and an unsuitable surface for pedestrians. Road Maintenance Services’ contractor, SIAC BP, are replacing the area of red brick pavers with a beige coloured asphalt which is more pedestrian friendly while also being able to sustain the loading from delivery trucks. The beige colour is in keeping with other recent pedestrian area resurfacing around the city including Exchequer Street, Wicklow Street, Duke Street, South Anne Street and North Earl Street.

DCC added that they had consulted with all businesses on Castlemarket on the extent of the resurfacing works “prior to commencement”. The work is expected to be completed by tomorrow, the 10th of February.

Public response to the resurfacing has not been positive, with Twitter users lamenting the “old street scapes” of the city and critiquing the “lack of aesthetics”. However, several users have pointed out that the red brick surface was difficult to navigate for wheelchair users, prompting the question of whether there’s a way to make streets more accessible while still being cognisant of aesthetics, with one Twitter user citing the resurfacing work undertaken in the Dutch city of Breda as an example.

Header image via wikimedia