The Milk Market

The ironies of life. When I lived in Palmerston court I slept in till lunchtime on  Saturdays and rarely made the market that was literally across the road. Now that I'm miles away I seem to have no trouble dragging myself out of bed at unreasonable hours to go to the market !

Good selections of spring plants, early cabbages and peas elsewhere too

I did like the chaotic messy way the market was but now its all cleaned up and middle class friendly it has certainly changed the atmosphere a lot. No doubt some stuff is still of dubious origin! and the constant undercover cops remind you, if you needed reminding, that you are in the middle of a turf war, (Ah Good old Limerick) but its gone all posh, so thank God the traders are still the same !!

Martins stall outside the central market

It wouldn't be a trip into the market without going to the outside to chat to Martin who does beautiful gates and railings. This summer I'm getting him to make garden obelisks for me. Martin is so entertaining I end up talking to him for far too long, laughing too much and in the end forgetting what I came to the market for! Through him I have met some of the other traders, all funny, witty down to earth people. They have a nice camaraderie even on the coldest of days.

leeks on an organic stall

Since I started going to the market 10 years ago the amount of people selling organic food has dramatically increased. I counted 4 stalls today! That's a lot for one market. There was an organic shop in the market open during the week too but whether because of the recession, or lack of business they closed.

Margaret selling daffodils-great value!!!

One surprise I did get today was meeting Margaret, a past FETAC student of mine selling daffodils at the market entrance near Lazios cafe.I got 5 bunches for a fiver from her! The only other thing I bought today was some delicious Irish apples from the Wexford growers. Those guys do flowers and apple juice mixes too. All their stuff is amazing. I was looking for beetroot but when I spotted some gorgeous looking ones on another stall and went to ask about them I found out they were Spanish ! There was a bit of a Spanish theme today, one of the stalls had a cool old print of a ship and sea monsters that immediately made me think of the Spanish Armada. I moved on when haggling wasn't going my way. I don't know what kind of market trader she was-she was not into haggling at all !! Play tough when you haggle-always be ready to walk away!! I wished I were back in Kathmandu where they have the good manners to give you a stool so you can haggle in comfort.

They do meat and ice cream too

In the Adare farm shop things seem to be going well. I was asking about bringing back my milk bottle to recycle it but the guy told me that they tried to do it when they started out but people wouldn't bring back the bottles, they liked them too much and used them for ordinary milk and orange juice !  so in the end they gave up. It is delicious milk if you've never tried it. I think Dunnes stock it.Probably Superquinn too.

As I was leaving I met my neighbour Mrs Richardson who has been a trader for years and comes in early to sell her hens eggs. Herself and her husband loved the market and since he died her daughter Helen takes her in. They sell the eggs, go have breakfast, Helen takes a nap and her mother does the shopping. Then they go home. Its a nice kind of Saturday routine.

music adds to the atmosphere at Peters shop

 One reason people got to the market is to try out new ideas, new products, new recipes. Markets give you instant feedback, and if your idea is a hit it might drive you on to the next stage of production. Its not for everyone though, painfully early starts, cold wet weather in.... I was going to say winter, but lets face it any time of year, and don't forget you must pay to set up your stall.

I worked the Market in Dromcollogher and in Galway city, two more different places you couldn't find on a map! My friend once said Galway was the graveyard of ambition-how true! Its full of artists and dreamers, people with mangy dogs so they can collect an extra €7 from social welfare to feed the poor dog! My friend was from Dublin, and found she wanted to go around Galway telling people to cop on and get a job! In the end the buskers, artists, dole babies and hanging around was all too much for her-she moved back to Dublin, grateful to have escaped! The Saturday market was great though, bustling with people, alive with music and craic and all in the atmospheric lane beside the medieval church of St Nicholas itself a fascinating place with eerie carvings and crusaders tombs.

Good deals on fish

By contrast Dromcollogher is a sober country town, not given to any kind of strange behaviour or excitement of any sort. Local solid country people come in to do their business and go back home-to work on the land. The market was one stall, outside the ahem, atmospheric er, local Centra ( they might even have objected to it!!) and custom was few and far between. You know those old westerns with the tumbling grass blowing down the street and there are no signs of habitation. That's the feel of market day in Dromcollogher!!!

setting up the canopy 2010

The point of this long ramble, I am aware that I am rambling, is to tell you what I learnt at the market. You can grow all sorts of great veg, but if you plan to sell it it better be something people recognise and know what to do with. John had a sophisticated audience in Galway, a real mix of backgrounds, nationalities and education. People had well developed palettes, still he knew from experience what sold, and stuck with it. Dromcollogher is the kind of town that at 1 o clock on any given day the smell of bacon and cabbage can threaten to overpower you in the community gardens. People coming to the market stall wanted spuds, cabbage, crab apple jelly and apple tarts! If any of you think of selling your surplus veg bear it in mind!!

stalls inside the canopy

Martin and Tara for gates, railings, garden furniture, custom work
www.macartdesign.ie