Letterkenny’s Market Square bandstand takes its final bow - Donegal Daily

It’s the end of an era at the Market Square in Letterkenny, where the familiar bandstand is being dismantled after decades at the heart of the town.The landmark...

It's the end of an era at the Market Square in Letterkenny, where the familiar bandstand is being dismantled after decades at the heart of the town.

The landmark structure, which hosted everything from music to dignitaries and demonstrations, is being carefully dismantled as part of the €3 million redevelopment of the Market Square.

Barricades have been erected around two sections of the square as workers from local contractor Boyle Construction begin the task at hand.

Boyle Construction workers oversee the end of an era at Market Square

Market Square is behind barriers as construction work begins on its major transformation.

Councillor Jimmy Kavanagh has welcomed the first visible signs of progress on the Letterkenny 2040 Market Square regeneration project which has been in development for several years.

After years of planning and funding announcements for major projects across Letterkenny, including Lower Main Street, the Cathedral Quarter and the Old Courthouse, Cllr Kavanagh said it was good to finally see works begin.

“There’s so much that you have to do in terms of getting these projects going, with consultants and whatnot. So, I’m just delighted to see it started,” Cllr Kavanagh said.

Cllr Kavanagh also welcomed the appointment of Boyle Construction to the project. The company has been behind the delivery of the new Letterkenny Community Nursing Unit.

“It’s nice to see a local contractor getting the job,” Cllr Kavanagh said.

“They have a lot of experience and have completed so much work at Letterkenny University Hospital too.”

Cllr Kavanagh said he believes the redevelopment will breathe new life into the area.

"There is so much more potential if it was opened up. Bands from the town could play music there, or even go up there to practise."

Michael Langan helps students find ‘safe space’ through Man United Foundation role

Cllr Kavanagh also recalled concerns raised by visitors to the town about the enclosed layout of the existing square.

“People have said to me about walking at night there. You hear noises in the square, but you can’t see who’s in there and they’re actually afraid to go,” he said.

Although the bandstand is leaving Market Square, it is hoped this piece of Letterkenny history has not yet heard its final tune.

Donegal County Council previously confirmed that its Capital Projects Delivery Unit would ensure the canopy would be stored for future reuse during the construction contract. Council officials were due to explore funding options for its reinstallation at another location.

Earlier this year, Cllr Kavanagh asked the local authority to consider relocating the canopy to the Ted Ponsonby performance area at Bernard McGlinchey Town Park. There, it could continue its purpose of providing shelter for a new generation of musicians and performers.

No decision has yet been made on whether the bandstand will be reinstalled or where its new home might be.

Meanwhile, the iconic Hiring Fair children sculptures by Maurice Harron will remain part of the square and have been incorporated into the new design.

The life-sized bronze figures, installed in 1994, commemorate the hiring fairs at which poor children were hired by wealthy farmers and landowners as farm labourers and domestic servants.

The Hiring Fair children look on as a new chapter begins at Market Square. Photo Rachel McLaughlin

The Market Square project will also see the removal of existing walls, steps, trees and the earth embankment at the rear of the site.

The redesigned space will feature two public plazas, a water feature, a new shared-surface layout, traffic-calming measures and stepped access to Main Street.

New seating, lighting, planting, street furniture and cycle stands will also be installed, while roads, junctions and footpaths around Market Square, Castle Street and Main Street will be revised.

Cllr Ciaran Brogan officially turned the sod on the landmark project in June 2026.

See more: Letterkenny 2040 - Reimagined Market Square project

This article is funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme