Clonakilty Outdoor Food Market

Posted on 29 November 2009

A report by Vincent Bennett

For the past two years, with the support of groups such as LEADER and Food Minister Trevor Sergeant, there have been moves to establish a controlled outdoor food market in Clonakilty town centre.

In March 2008 Clonakilty Council split on a motion designating the Credit Union car park (the traders’ preferred area) for casual trading.  A year later, no satisfactory solution having emerged, the traders took the matter into their own hands and on Friday April 3 began to hold a weekly outdoor food market in the Credit Union car park each Friday from about 9am to 2pm.

“No permission to hold the market has been granted by the council, as it is not trading in an area designated by the council under the current bylaws, i.e. the Community College car park”, said Justin England, Clonakilty’s Town Clerk.  “That area is neither central nor adequate”, said Ger Kelleher, chairperson of the Friends of Clonakilty Market.

Council members and traders are in discussions to find a temporary site while the council explores the idea of re-siting the designated trading area after consultation with traders and the general public.

On Friday October 2 the market at the Credit Union car park venue consisted of 13 stands, all but two dealing in food production and distribution. The Breheny’s Bellish stand was offering relishes, soups, pestos, olive tapenades, sauces and dressings.  “We spend six months of the year collecting foods around Ireland.  Our soup was a gold medal award winner in England” said the trader.

Claire, on the TarTeas Treats stall, was offering a tempting selection of savoury and sweet tarts and treats.  Delivery available on 086-302 2213. www.tarteas.com

The Straw Bale Cheeses stall was offering Irish and continental cheeses, mostly farmhouse produced, organic apples, honey and pickles.  Deirdre McInerney, based in Rosscarbery, was offering various examples of her own home baking, such as cakes, apricot and cinnamon flapjacks, brownies and buns.  087-215 9974.

At Devoy’s Organic Farm stall, accompanied by her young daughter, Mrs Devoy, “a direct descendant of John Devoy, the Fenian” she informed me, was selling a selection of autumnal fruits and vegetables, produced, as much as possible, from the Devoy farm in Rosscarbery.

The spectacular Orchid of Sheba stall, operated by two young brothers, Ron and Leo, featured a mobile, oak-fired clay-oven Pizzaria/Pizza bread Bakery.  Asked for a comment on the market, Ron said: “Great.  People should come out more and support it.” The stall is available for every party, event or fundraiser on 023-882 2798 or 087-744 1920.

The Gubeen Smokehouse stall offered bacon, sausages, ribs, paté and cheeses: “Nice market, nice atmosphere” the trader said.

Building Inspector Gerry Burke M. Inst. B.C. was at the Building Doctor stall, offering advice on insulation, windows, ‘green’ heating and structural, roof and damp problems for €1 per item of advice.  087-980 1086.  He thought the market a great idea.  “It will bring a lot of business to the town.  It’s no threat to the permanent traders.”

Anja Bakker was seated nearby playing mellifluous music on her harp.

The Natural Food Bakery, a family business based in Paul Street, Cork and Blackrock, was offering handmade breads and luxury cakes, some sugar-free and glutin-free.

The Real Olive Company, Clonakilty, was offering salad foods such as olives, Greek salads, pestos, olive oil and dried fruits.  Alan Hassett from Baltimore, a fisherman himself up to five years ago, offered fresh, local fish, including prawns, skate, black and lemon sole, plaice, cod, haddock and whiting.  Andreas Haubold, of the Bakery Emporium was selling health breads and cakes produced in their Dunmanway bakery.  They specialise in spelt products: “The market has good potential if the question of location is solved.”

On Friday, October 24, with the kind permission of O’Donovan’s Hotel, the market relocated temporarily to Recorders Alley, between Pearse Street and the Kent Street car park.  Most of the stalls seen at the previous venue were trading.  There was one new stallholder, James Scannell, from Mealagulla Orchard, Ovens, selling apples, apple juice and honey.

For hundreds of years Clonakilty, like most country towns, was known as a market town, with weekly markets and monthly fairs to which farmers brought their produce.  It was unheard of for a farmer’s wife to be seen buying vegetables in a shop.  In the recent past that pattern lapsed, to be replaced by self-service supermarkets and marts.  Clonakilty became a tourist town for weekenders and holidaymakers.   Its main attraction seemed to have become the pubs.

The current downturn seems to be signalling a return to a more fundamental type of life with development of outdoor food markets, where producer and consumer interact.  The markets are now being held throughout West Cork, in Skibbereen and Bandon on Saturdays, Bantry on Fridays, Schull on summer Sundays, Macroom and Kinsale on Tuesdays and, unofficially at the moment, Clonakilty on Fridays.

The life of an outdoor market trader is a hard one, involving setting up and taking down the business each trading day, rain or shine.  The traders deserve our respect and admiration.  Let’s hope that the current Clonakilty Outdoor Food Market impasse will be soon resolved.