Cork’s famous English Market needs funding for repairs and regeneration, the city’s Lord Mayor has said.

The market, one of the oldest in Europe, has been trading since 1788 and is architecturally significant as a heritage and tourist attraction.

Newstalk Breakfast host Shane Coleman with Cork Lord Mayor Kieran McCarthy. Picture by: Newstalk

Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast in Cork as part of the Newstalk Summer Tour, Mayor McCarthy said there needs to be a plan for the future.

"My call is for it to have a business plan, I think every business should have a business plan," he said.

"We have an issue with a roof that needs to be repaired, and also we've got maybe four to five vacant stalls out of maybe 40.

"My call is that we put a plan in place to see where we're going – in particular to search out for food startups.

"My call is not out of the ordinary [of] 'where are we going with the business?'"

Mayor McCarthy said the ultimate responsibility rests with Cork City Council, who "must put funding aside" within its financial budget.

"Sometimes you take something for granted, and it's been there for so long," he said.

"Sometimes it just needs a revamp".

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II at the English Market in Cork on May 20th, 2011. Picture by: Anwar Hussein / Alamy Stock Photo

He said that, while the visit of Britain's late Queen Elizabeth II is still fresh in people's minds, it is time to move on.

"That's over 10 years ago, a decade now has passed," he said.

"We can't just keep jumping on that particular laurel.

"It was a fantastic day, don't get me wrong, I was there.

"We've had some other great events over the last 10 years in the English Market, like the final episode of The Young Offenders.

"Every Culture Night there's always a nice set of music and arts and so on," he added.

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Main image: The English Market, Cork is seen in December 2017. Picture by: Andy Gibson / Alamy Stock Photo