The Doolin Saturday Market and Craft Fair

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehn, goodbye....

2009-08-24T16:49:00.001+01:00

Summer is nearly over, and so too is this season of the Doolin Saturday Market and Craft Fair! We plan to go out in style, and will be jam-packed with your favourite stallholders, and even a few newcomers! So if you’ve been putting off a visit, or just want to visit one more time before it’s over for the season, now is the time to come down to Doolin for the Saturday Market!

One of the things we love about the Market is the great mix, not just of products, but also of people from nearly every continent, music for every taste, and art of every description. Some visitors come for the food, which can be eaten on the spot at our stage-top café, or taken home to savour later. We have a great selection of local and imported fruit and organic veg, bread, baked goods, fresh waffles, cheese, local ice cream, salads, curries, chutneys, jams, and sauces. And besides that, you will see all manner of handmade items such as ceramics, photography, locally made willow baskets and chairs, quilted and crocheted items, handsewn bags and purses, plants, and natural cosmetics, made locally with seaweed and other organic ingredients. Often we have craftspeople working away, spinning yarn, or making ceramic figures, and always available to answer questions about their craft!

We have also introduced a “Local’s Table” where writers and musicians who live in Clare can sell their books and CDs. We have been delighted with the talent of locals who have produced children’s books, books of local interest, a cookbook, and CDs of Irish music. And we have also introduced the Lightning Strike Gallery, a unique art gallery featuring the work of a different Clare-based artist each week. This week we welcome Jennifer Hornsby, fresh from her exhibit at Glor!

The Doolin Saturday Market and Craft Fair takes place this Saturday, 29th August at the Russell Brothers Community Centre, Doolin, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Russell Community Centre is located on the road between the village and the church.

Everywhere was a song and a celebration!

2009-08-10T10:51:00.002+01:00

One of the unlikeliest of the many parties planned around the world this week to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Woodstock will take place at the Doolin Saturday Market and Craft Fair on Saturday!

Always up for a good time, the folks at the Doolin Market can’t resist this opportunity to wax nostalgic for the Peace and Love era. We love the music, we love the clothes, and even the rain seemed warmer and friendlier than the rain we have been seeing lately! To celebrate, we are having a Woodstock theme at the Market this week. Our famed music mix will be given over entirely to music from artists who played there, including Crosby, Stills, and Nash, The Who, Janis Joplin, the Incredible String Band, The Band, and a host of others.

Stallholders will be wearing their finest 60s apparel, and visitors are encouraged to dress up as well. Prizes will be awarded for best dressed, as well as for winners of pop quizzes on Woodstock trivia. So bone up on your Woodstock knowledge before you come!

Special foods, face painting, and other attractions will be ongoing, and all of the usual attractions of the Doolin Saturday Market and Craft Fair will be available as well. The Market is one of the largest in the area, with over 20 stallholders most weeks, and a fantastic mix of products including fruit and vegetables, cheese, plants, baked goods, and local ice cream. Visitors can enjoy snacks and light meals, tea and coffee at our pleasant café overlooking the Market.

We also have local craftspeople who make bags and purses, textiles, natural cosmetics, willow chairs and baskets, jewellery, ceramics, and photography. Often we have craftspeople working away, making baskets, spinning yarn, or making ceramic figures, and always available to answer questions about their craft!

For more information, contact Toby at doolinmarket@gmail.com.

Art and Crafts

2009-08-07T20:25:00.003+01:00

The Lightning Strike Gallery is entering its final month, and it has been a fantastic addition to the Market. Visitors and stallholders have been delighted to find a new show each Saturday and the variety and quality of the artworks have been inspiring. We have seen paintings, etchings, pastels, photographs, tapestry, and batik, all from artists who currently live in Clare. The artwork displayed so far include pieces that reflect the artists’ experience and vision of Clare, through landscapes, seascapes, portraits of local people, and images of local wildlife. We have also seen artwork by artists who drew on their travels to places as far away as Thailand, Laos, and Timbuktu, who produced photographic landscapes and portraits from those far-away places. Other artists have displayed surreal and imaginative work evoking a spiritual connection with place, music, and nature.

The Lightning Strike Gallery continues to exhibit a new show every week through the end of August. Some of the artists who will exhibit this month include, Sonja O’Brien, Kaye Maas, and Jennifer Hornsby, as well as an exhibition this Saturday by a group of emerging artists known as the Hopeless Romantics. The gallery hours coincide with the Doolin Saturday Market and Craft Fair from 10 until 4 at the Russell Brothers Community Centre in Doolin. Admission is free.

Next week, August 15th, the Doolin Market will celebrate the 40th anniversary of
Woodstock! Watch this space for more info next week!

Doo wah diddy, diddy dum, diddy do…..

2009-06-28T15:40:00.001+01:00

The Doolin Saturday Market and Craft Fair has a new look, and a new attitude! We blame it on the weather, but we are smarter and prettier than ever, and anxious to show off!

On fine days some of our stallholders move outside the Russell Community Centre to display their crafts outdoors whilst enjoying the sunshine. And inside we have more stallholders than ever. Many of our favorite stallholders have returned from last year, and we also have attracted a number of food and craftspeople who will attend once or twice over the summer. That means that every time you come to the Doolin Market, you will have a different experience! On any given week you might see handmade organic leather bags, tanned and dyed without chemicals; knitted and crocheted children’s clothes; natural cosmetics, made locally with seaweed and other organic ingredients; willow chairs and baskets; jewellery, ceramics, photography, wood turning, and hand-spun and dyed yarn. The list is ever growing! Often we have craftspeople working away, doing leatherwork or spinning yarn, or making ceramic figures, and always available to answer questions about their craft!

We have also introduced a “Local’s Table” where writers and musicians who live in Clare can sell their books and CDs. So far we have been delighted with the talent of locals who have produced children’s books (Jennifer Hornsby), a Burren walking guide (Tony Kirby), a cookbook (Mary Sheehan), and a CD of Irish songs (Gerry Shannon). More goods from talented local writers and musicians will be displayed in coming weeks.

The Market looks great this season, thanks to Karl Hughes who has provided wall hangings, and also because of the success of the Lightning Strike Gallery, in the café area of the Market. Local artists of all stripes are exhibiting paintings, drawings, photography, tapestries, batik, and mixed media work, with a different artist exhibiting every week. Some of the artists who have exhibited so far include Corrina Schroeder von Frihling, Kathy Sambrook, Vicky Lennie, Ilsa Thielan, and Karl Hughes.

About half the stalls in the Market provide food and plants, including fruit and vegetables, houseplants and bedding plants, soups, salads, curries, local and European cheeses, breads, cakes, cookies, tea and coffee, and fresh cooked waffles. We have local certified organic vegetables that are in season and picked each morning. And we have ice cream, freshly made on a family farm in New Quay from the milk of a traditional breed of Burren cows!

The Doolin Saturday Market and Craft Fair takes place on Saturdays, through August at the Russell Brothers Community Centre, Doolin, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Russell Community Centre is located on the road between the village and the church.

To join our mailing list, contact Toby at doolinmarket@gmail.com.

Great Balls of Fire!!

2009-06-26T22:33:00.004+01:00

Photo by Ilsa Thielan.

The Lightning Strike Gallery has been a blast! The quality and variety of artwork displayed in the café area of the Doolin Saturday Market and Craft Fair this season has made working and visiting the Market even more beautiful. Here are a few notes about the artists whose work will be exhibited this week, as well as those seen over the last few weeks.

This week, the Lightening Strike Gallery features the work of Karl Hughes

Karl was born in Manchester and moved to South Africa at the age of 18. He spent his early twenties torn between study, learning the mechanics of photography while working as a photo-lithographer, and travel, hitching around South Eastern Africa whenever possible. Travel eventually won out and he hit the road, meandering through Africa and Europe, toward the edge of the Atlantic, ending up and settling in Doolin. While distant lands have continued to beckon, leading Karl to almost every continent, over the past 18 years Doolin's warm heart has brought him home every summer. Karl has dabbled in many mediums, but he loves photography best for its honesty in capturing the visual nature of reality.

Travel and a connection with people have been underlying themes in his life and photography. This series of portraits are based on Karl's travels among the tribal peoples of Thailand and Laos. He captures the exotic and marries it to the inherent and shared humanity of his subjects. This is Karl's first exhibit.

Last week, June 20th, the Lightening Strike Gallery featured the work of Ilsa Thielan. Ilsa lived in Fisherstreet, Doolin for nearly 20 years, surrounded by music, stories and history going back far into prehistoric times. She had studied Art, Literature and Photograpy in Germany, and it ws in Doolin and the surrounding Burren where she found her spiritual home and inspiration for her artwork.

Ilsa created and ran the Ivy Cottage Resturant in Doolin with a small gallery to exhibit her work until 1999. Then she moved closer to the Burren to devote her life totally to her photography, poetry and the occasional work of tapestry.

Her love for music and having lived for so long right there where the heart of the music beats, in Doolin, inspired her to travel to musical events all over Ireland. Eventually music lured her to travel abroad, further and furhter. Music became the inspiration for her creative work.

In January of this year, Ilsa weny to Timbuktu in Mali, Africa and from there way out into the Sahara to the "Festival in the Desert", which is a music festival of theTourareg Nomads and which had been visited by Irish musicians Paddy Keenan, Liam O'Maonlai, Mary Bergin, Gary O'Briean, and others. A fascinating musical exchange had happened between Irish musicians and Mali musicians. Being out inthe desert with the Touareg, the "Kel Tamashek", the people who speak Tamashek, and their music, was one of the most powerful experiences Ilsa ever had.

This exhibit, entitled "From Doolin to Timbuktu" is the result of that experience.

On June 13th, the Lightening Strike Gallery featured the work of Vicky Lennie. Originally from Edinburgh, Scotland, and a graduate of the Glasgow School of Art, Vicky Lennie has been living and working in West Clare for 13 years. On moving to Ireland in 1996, explorations of her new home led her to a series of land and seascapes, emotional responses to the environment, and the movement of elemental forces. She was soon involved in life-drawing sessions with local artists, which rekindled the fascination she had for the subject and brought the nude to the forefront of her work. The return to the seascape as subject matter came after a break of four years during which time her two children were born.

Many of Vickie’s seascapes were painted on site, through the window of her camper van. “By working in this way, with an ever-changing scene in front of me, I aim to give the viewer a sense of actually being there, over a period of time. The beauty of paint is that it makes visible the actions of the artis as the work was being made.”

Past exhibitions include a three woman show at the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, Dublin, 2000; Doolin Artists annual group shows, 2000-2003; solo show, Tides Gallery, Liscannor, 2001; and a three-woman show at the Belltable Arts Centre, 2004.

The Lightening Strike Gallery will continue to bring Clare artists to the Doolin Market each Saturday this summer. Some upcoming shows are from artists including J.J. (Jack) McCormack, Cindy Griffin, Sonya O'Brien, Michelle de Villiers, Kathy Sambrook, Jennifer Hornsby, and others! We hope to see you soon!

......and the living is easy!

2009-06-09T21:07:00.003+01:00

It's looking like we might have a real summer here in Doolin! Not at the moment, actually, but our opening weekend, the sun was splitting the stones! We hope it continues, and that you find time to stop by the Market while you are spending time out and about!

Our latest project, the Lightening Strike Gallery, has been a big success! This unique art gallery presents the work of a different local artist on the Saturday of each week on the stage of the Russell Brothers Community Centre. The gallery hours coincide with the Doolin Saturday Market and Craft Fair, giving local residents and visitors an opportunity to view the work of local artists while visiting the Market.

So far the gallery has featured work by Doolin artists Corinna Schroeder-von Frihling and Kathy Sambrook. This Saturday we are delighted to feature the art of Vicky Lennie. Originally from Edinburgh, Scotland, and a graduate of the Glasgow School of Art, Vicky Lennie has been living and working in West Clare for 13 years. On moving to Ireland in 1996, explorations of her new home led her to a series of land and seascapes, emotional responses to the environment, and the movement of elemental forces. She was soon involved in life-drawing sessions with local artists, which rekindled the fascination she had for the subject and brought the nude to the forefront of her work. The return to the seascape as subject matter came after a break of four years during which time her two children were born.

Many of Vickie’s seascapes were painted on site, through the window of her camper van. “By working in this way, with an ever-changing scene in front of me, I aim to give the viewer a sense of actually being there, over a period of time. The beauty of paint is that it makes visible the actions of the artist as the work was being made.”

Past exhibitions include a three woman show at the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, Dublin, 2000; Doolin Artists annual group shows, 2000-2003; solo show, Tides Gallery, Liscannor, 2001; and a three-woman show at the Belltable Arts Centre, 2004.

Vicky’s work will be exhibited for one day only this Saturday, June 13th, at the Lightening Strike Gallery at the Doolin Saturday Market and Craft Fair. The gallery hours will coincide with the Doolin Saturday Market and Craft Fair from 10 until 4 at the Russell Brothers Community Centre in Doolin. Admission is free.

For more information, or if you are an artist who wishes to be considered for an exhibition, contact Toby at doolinmarket@gmail.com.

In other news, the Doolin Saturday Market and Craft Fair has gotten off to a good start this year, as we welcome old friends and some very interesting newcomers! This week we would like to welcome Mark & Margôt of Rathlir Farm! Mark and Margot bought a rundown farmhouse and surrounding land back in spring of 2004. The holding includes a developing wood and a traditional bog. Over the last five years Mark & Margôt have lovingly refurbished the main house, restoring the surrounding homestead from derelict ground to an attractive, productive organic farm including an orchard with a variety of top fruit trees and a kitchen garden. Rathlir® Farm gained full symbol organic status from IOFGA last summer.

Mark & Margôt erected two tunnels this February which, together with a small glass house for germination and an enlarged kitchen garden, are now the centre of a growing horticulture business. They look forward to supplying quality salads and root vegetables grown locally, in season, with full organic certification. They have a stall at the Doolin Saturday Market and Craft over the summer and will be introducing freshly picked, seasonal food to all who visit the Market.

As always, the Doolin Saturday Market and Craft Fair is a rambling affair, full of a fantastic array of food and crafts, including a wide selection of baked goods, hot and cold snacks, local and European cheeses, baskets, textiles, ceramics, photography, and much much more!

Hope to see you Saturday!

Photo above: Rathlir Farm at sunrise. Courtesy of Mark Pierce.

And at last it is here! The Grand Opening!

2009-05-25T13:16:00.003+01:00

We have so much to tell you about our Grand Opening this weekend, May 30th, and we hope you will spread the word to anyone who might be in the neighbourhood! Events that day include an outdoor barbeque, cookery demonstration, face painting, and other family events! We will also unveil our new art gallery, the Lightening Strike Gallery, featuring the work of a local artist each week.

Some of the foods available this year include delicious loaves of fresh bread, fresh croissants and other specialty breads, cookies and cakes, homemade chocolate truffles, fresh cooked waffles, chocolate-dipped strawberries, salads and vegetarian food, locally made Burren ice cream, cheeses from Clare and beyond, hot ethnic foods, local hen and duck eggs, herbs, and a good selection vegetables and fruit. Plants for your home and garden will also be available.

Other home-made and hand-made items include ceramics, jewellery, crocheted and knitted items including baby clothing, colourful felted wool items, home-spun and died yarn, handbags, ethnic clothing and accessories, locally crafted willow baskets, photographs, cards, prints, and natural cosmetics.

This season we are delighted to see the return of Mairead Sharry, from Inisheer. Mairead was an inspiration to all of us last summer as she demonstrated how she spins wool on her wheel and displayed beautiful items she made from wool she carded, spun, and dyed herself. Mairead promises some special items she made just for us, including her new line of items in Clare colours! Learn more about Mairead on her blog, From Sheep to Shawl, at http://maireadsharry.blogspot.com. Mairead will join us for the Grand Opening and from time to time over the summer.

We also welcome back Mary Sheehan, who has spent a productive winter promoting enjoyment of cooking and eating with natural and local ingredients through her involvement with Slow Food Clare, conducting cookery demonstrations around the country, and promoting her book “Coming Home to Cook”. Mary is profiled in the June edition of Food and Wine magazine, Ireland’s food and drink bible, and her activities at the Doolin Market were featured as well! Mary will provide a range of salads and vegetarian food at the Market, as well as her critically acclaimed cookbook. She will also conduct a cookery demonstration at 3 p.m. at the Market. The demonstration is free, but early sign-up is recommended! You can learn more about Mary’s book and recipes on her website at www.marysheehan.com.

The Doolin Saturday Market and Craft Fair takes place on Saturdays, through August at the Russell Brothers Community Centre, Doolin. This year the market will again combine the produce and foods of a traditional Farmers’ Market with the hand-made goods of a Craft Fair. This market uniquely appeals to both local consumers, who benefit from having fresh, locally produced foods on their doorstep on a weekly basis, and the visitor, who is looking for unique and authentic handcrafted items to take home from their visit to North Clare. It also provides a pleasant daytime activity where both locals and visitors can spend some time browsing, having a cup of tea or coffee, and enjoying some homemade cookies or muffins.

Don’t forget to tell your friends and family! We hope to see you soon!

Lightening Strikes 14 Times!!! (every Saturday till September!)

2009-05-24T17:15:00.003+01:00

The Doolin Saturday Market and Craft Fair proudly announces the opening of the Lightening Strike Gallery. This unique art gallery presents the work of a different local artist on the Saturday of each week on the stage of the Russell Brothers Community Centre. The gallery hours will coincide with the Doolin Saturday Market and Craft Fair, giving local residents and visitors an opportunity to view the work of local artists while visiting the Market.

The gallery has been developed to showcase the talents of artists from Clare and nearby areas. Paintings, drawings, photography, and mixed media work will be featured over the course of the summer. Some of the artists who will be featured include Kathy Sambrook, Vickie Lennie, Karl Hughes, and many more. Original art and prints will be available for sale. Admission is free.

The first exhibition will take place at the Grand Opening of the Doolin Saturday Market and Craft Fair on Saturday, May 30th, from 10 a.m. through 4 p.m., and will feature the art of Corinna Schroeder-von Frihling. Hamburg-born Corinna studied ceramics, art and education in Kiel, Germany. After her marriage, she set up a private art school and gallery. She organised, together with her husband, numerous international exhibitions in public places and her own gallery. Since 1972 Corinna has shown her work in Germany, France, Belgium, Norway, Ireland and Canada, winning several awards in Germany. Her work is published in several books and exhibition catalogues. Corinna was a member of ‘Doolin Artists’ from 2000-2005.
Her work, based on reality, often goes a more surrealistic way. Her main techniques are etching and pastel.

For more information, or if you are an artist who wishes to be considered for an exhibition, contact Toby at doolinmarket@gmail.com.

Plant an extra row!

2009-04-08T12:56:00.002+01:00

If you are planning a garden, why not plant an extra row of your favorite vegetable to sell at the Doolin Saturday Market? It will bring in a little extra cash for you and your family, and locals and visitors will benefit from having fresh local produce for sale at their doorstep!

All sorts of vegetables, herbs, salads, fruits, eggs, and other local produce are in demand. If you would like to have a table for your own produce, contact us for more information and an application form. If you have smaller quantities, or just don’t want to spend your Saturdays at the Market, we will arrange for the sale of your vegetables. Just contact us in advance to let us know what you plan to grow for the Market, and to make arrangements for its sale. Remember to stagger your planting so that you have something to sell throughout the summer!

The Doolin Saturday Market and Craft Fair will start its second season on Saturday May 30th, and will run through Saturday, August 29th at the Russell Community Centre in Doolin, on the road from the village to the Church. The Market combines the produce and foods of a traditional Farmers’ Market with the hand-made goods of a Craft Fair. With over 20 vendors, this market appeals to both local consumers, who benefit from having fresh, locally produced foods available on a weekly basis, and the visitor, who is looking for unique and authentic handcrafted items to take home from their visit to North Clare.

For more information, contact Toby at doolinmarket@gmail.com.

Doolin Christmas Market and Craft Fair!!!

2008-11-28T13:32:00.002Z

Christmas lights are starting to appear around County Clare, and it is time to let you know about our plans for a special Christmas edition of the Doolin Saturday Market and Craft Fair. This time, though, the Market will take place over a full weekend, on Saturday and Sunday,
the 13th and 14th of December from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Russell Community Centre (between the village and the church) in Doolin, County Clare.

The hall will be decorated and festive, and packed full of more vendors than ever, crowding into every nook and cranny of the Centre! Everyone loves fresh baked foods, and the Market will have loads of familiar and new faces baking cakes, cookies, cinnamon buns, and all kinds of goodies. Some of the baking will be done right there at the Market, and there will be Christmas puddings and cakes too (including a special vegan Christmas cake)! We also feature specialty foods that will give a lift to the menu when you are entertaining friends and family over the Christmas season, including olive oil, sauces, preserves, chutneys, honey, cheese, wine, and local fine foods. And to make your home feel festive, we have wreaths and flowers, greenery, and natural and handcrafted Christmas decorations!

Our craftspeople are back in full force, and are joined by new vendors for the Christmas Market. Clare is blessed with talented men and women who make beautiful things out of natural materials. We will have craftspeople at the Market with locally made leatherwork, cards, willow baskets, pottery, textiles, glass art, photography, jewellery, and woodwork. We also have a few collectors who have brought crafts and handmade instruments back from their travels in Asia, Africa, and South America.

As always, we will have coffee, tea and snacks available, and a relaxing café atmosphere in which to sit back and watch the goings-on while you take a break from browsing.

The Doolin Christmas Market and Craft Fair loves Christmas! And we especially love the return to old-fashioned values that the Christmas Market represents. We value handmade gifts, craftsmanship, old family recipes, personal service, homemade treats, fair prices, and a festive atmosphere! We hope to see you there!

Remember to log on to our blog at www.doolinmarket.blogspot.com. You can read all of our newsletters, leave comments, hear about upcoming events, and see photos of recent markets!
Thanks, too, for forwarding our Newsletter to your friends and family! We hope to see you soon!

We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the... in the... er...

2008-09-21T16:31:00.003+01:00

Well, maybe we didn't have seasons in the sun, but nevertheless the season has come to an end!

The Doolin Saturday Market and Craft Fair will have its last day of the season this Saturday, September 27th from 1 p.m.to 5 p.m. at the Russell Community Centre in Doolin. Some of the vendors will have end-of-season reductions, so don’t miss this chance to browse through this unique collection of handmade crafts and homemade foods for the last time this season!

The Market would like to thank all of our customers for steady support since we opened in June. The regular flow of enthusiastic locals and visitors through the weekly market has been gratifying, and has given the Market a great atmosphere!

The Market Committee would also like to thank all of the regular and occasional vendors who came to the Market each week and never lost their zeal, despite the early morning starts on Saturdays, and a lot of rainy days!

We look forward to seeing everyone again at the Doolin Christmas Market and Craft Fair, and when the Saturday Market resumes next season!

Announcing New Hours for September!

2008-09-04T19:03:00.001+01:00

Sorry about the short notice on this! The Doolin Saturday Market and Craft Fair will have new hours for the month of September! Beginning this Saturday, September 6th, the Market will be open during the afternoons only, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. We expect these hours to be in place for the rest of the season, which finishes at the end of September.

The good news is that Christmas is coming soon! Maybe not for everyone, but craftspeople are already busy making homemade and handmade items for the Doolin Christmas Market and Craft Fair! And foodies are busy planning the special Christmas sweets and goodies they will have on offer! The Christmas Market will be held on Saturday and Sunday, the 13th and 14th of December, so mark your calendars! We are also accepting applications from vendors who would like to participate in the Christmas Market. Contact Toby at doolinmarket@gmail.com for information!

Hope to see you Saturday, at our new time!

New to the Market!

2008-08-13T09:10:00.001+01:00

Good news! You can now buy local free range pork at the Doolin Saturday Market and Craft Fair! Eva Hegarty has joined the Market, and in addition to providing roasts, chops and other cuts of pork, she brings delicious sausages made from the meat of her hand-raised pigs. The sausages are made by Justin Flannery of Gort, who uses traditional methods and seasonings to make sausages like Granny used to make, 90% meat, and with a mild and natural flavour. Delicious! Eva is originally from Finland, and married a local fella a few years ago. They breed and raise a small number of pigs on their smallholding in Kilfenora. Their pigs are healthy and happy, having free access to shelter and land to wander and forage on. This results in a tastier, better quality meat. Come taste samples!

With the addition of Eva to our Market, it is now possible to do your weekly shop here, buying Clare-produced meat, cheese, bread, vegetables, eggs, and baked goods! You can also avail of delicious home-made prepared foods, such as salads and salad dressings, oils and chutneys, chocolate covered strawberries, home-made ice cream, curries, chilli, and fresh orange juice.

Someone else who has been attracting a lot of attention lately, both from locals and visitors, is photographer Leslie Flynn. Leslie has been living in and photographing North Clare for over 30 years, and almost all of the photographs he displays are taken within walking distance of the Doolin Saturday Market and Craft Fair! Leslie has a remarkable eye, and using traditional film techniques (with no digital enhancement!!), he captures points of view that make people see their surroundings anew, and develop fresh appreciation for the beauty of the land and people around us here everyday! We often see a few people gathered around his stall looking closely at photos and asking him where it was taken, or who is the familiar-looking person in the photo! Sometimes these discussions lead right down memory lane, or sometimes to a brand new discovery of a near-by place not seen before!

Mary Sheehan’s Cookery Demonstration was a great success! So, she’s going to do it again! This week, Mary will again take over the O’Gorman Room at the Market at 1p.m.to demonstrate simple easy ways to combine fresh local foods with some ingredients we don’t often see in Irish cooking, but which are now becoming readily available. Some people are surprised to learn that Mary is not herself a vegetarian, because her cookbook emphasises ways to cook with vegetables, grains, and dairy products. These recipes are fantastic for vegetarians, or people who wish to eat less meat. But Mary is quick to point out that many of her dishes are equally good when sharing the menu with meat dishes! Mary will demonstrate some additional recipes this week. Again, the Cookery Demonstration is free, but sign-up is recommended as space is limited. You can sign up at the Market, or by emailing us at doolinmarket@gmail.com. You can learn more about Mary’s new book, “Coming Home to Cook” on her website at www.marysheehan.com.

One of our favourite stallholders is spinner and weaver Mairead Sharry, from Inisheer, whom we told you about in our first newsletter. Now you can see Mairead in action from the comfort of your own home! A visitor videotaped Mairead at the Market a few weeks ago, and posted the tape on YouTube! You can search Mairead Sharry, Doolin Market on YouTube, or follow this link to view it: http://youtube.com/watch?v=YIp4CQoiOtw.

See you Saturday!

I scream, You scream, We all scream, for ICE CREAM!!!

2008-08-06T18:08:00.008+01:00

Welcome again to the Doolin Saturday Market and Craft Fair Newsletter!

Yes, fresh, homemade ice cream is now featured at the Doolin Saturday Market and Craft Fair! Made in small batches by an ice cream lover at Kilmoon, Lisdoonvarna, two flavours are available each week. Come early though -- this is a local favourite and sells out quickly!

This week, at 1 p.m., we are featuring a Cookery Demonstration by local chef and author Mary Sheehan. Mary is currently touring Ireland promoting her book, “Coming Home to Cook”, featuring recipes inspired by the organic gardens of Ireland. Mary is originally from a big Irish-American family in Brockton, Massachusetts. She moved to County Clare last year to live and work in the Burren. Here, and on her cousin’s farm in West Cork, Mary was stimulated by the countryside, the traditions, and the simple fresh ingredients she saw in everyday Irish cooking. Having 30 years experience of professional cooking, Mary was inspired to write a cookbook to show the many ways that fresh local ingredients can come together in simple, healthy, and delicious ways. Her cookery demonstration will show how easy it is to use local ingredients, some sourced on the day from the Doolin Saturday Market and Craft Fair, to create healthy, low-fat, interesting meals, ! Some of her recipes are dairy and gluten free. This event is free, but sign-up is recommended as space is limited. You can sign up at the Market, or by contacting us at doolinmarket@gmail.com. You can learn more about Mary’s book and recipes on her website at www.marysheehan.com.

This week we are joined at the Market by our latest stallholder, Kate Harrin, from Miltown Malbay. Kate brings a selection of local cheeses to the Market, including award-winning St. Tola goat cheeses from Inagh, some beautiful herbed and plain goudas from Kilshanny Cheese, and a cheddar-style Mount Callan cheese made of raw summer milk from cows on the Ennistymon farm of Michael and Lucy Hayes. Kate also provides semi-dried tomatoes, olives, and a variety of Mediterranean-inspired delicacies. Buy some of Kate’s cheese, and a loaf of homemade bread from one of our bakers, and take your lunch away with you for your journey! Kate also brings fresh local vegetables and herbs from her garden in Miltown Malbay.

The Doolin Saturday Market and Craft Fair is held every Saturday from 10 until 4 at the Russell Community Centre (between the village and the church) in Doolin, County Clare. Remember to log on to our blog at www.doolinmarket.blogspot.com. You can read all of our newsletters, leave comments, hear about upcoming events, and see photos of recent markets!

As always, we appreciate all the emails we’ve gotten with your comments and questions! If you would like more information, or want to get in touch with us, email Toby at doolinmarket@gmail.com.

Thanks, too, for forwarding our Newsletter to your friends and family! We hope to see you soon!

Calling All Gardeners!!!

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Do you live in North Clare? Do you grow fruit and vegetables in your garden? Do you keep hens or ducks? Do you keep bees?

Are there some weeks when you have more produce than you can cook or eat?!!

If you grow food for the enjoyment of it, or to put the highest quality produce on your table, the Doolin Saturday Market and Craft Fair would like to talk with you! We have vendors who will be happy to sell your surplus for you. This is a classic win-win situation! You get a fair price for your produce and no longer have to think of increasingly desperate ways to use up your spare vegetables! And our customers get a wider variety of fresh, locally grown foods, with great flavour and low food miles!

For more information, contact Toby at doolinmarket@gmail.com

It's summer (sort of).....

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Here in Doolin, we are not exactly stampeding to the beach so far this summer! It’s been a little bit grey, a little bit drizzly, and really nice weather for dropping by the Doolin Saturday Market and Craft Fair for a look, to see what’s new here, and relax for a while with a cup of tea from Lydia, a homemade croissant or slice of carrot cake, a few chocolate-covered strawberries from Paul “Mr. Bean”Bradley, or a warm bowl of curry from Aloma.

Our craftspeople are a creative bunch, and have been bringing new ideas and different handmade items every week, so call in to see what is new this week! One of the new products comes straight out of the Clare earth! Ceramic artist Siobain O’Brien has been selling delicate and colourful slipware she makes at the Boghill Centre in Kilfenora. She has now expanded her line to include ceramic pieces made of clay that she digs from their own land at the pottery in Kilfenora! That means that Siobain has been involved in every aspect of making the piece, from digging and hand-processing the clay, to forming it, firing it, glazing it, and bringing it to the Market for sale! It’s a fascinating process, and her ceramics are lovely and unique. Stop by her table, she will be happy to tell you how she does it!

We have plans for special events over the coming weeks. We’ll let you know what’s coming up! We appreciate all the emails we’ve gotten with your comments and questions! If you would like more information, or want to get in touch with us, email Toby at doolinmarket@gmail.com.

And don't forget that at 2 p.m. every Saturday we draw the name of the winner of a voucher worth 25 euros to be used for any merchandise at the Market. It costs only 1 euro per chance, and you can sign up for the drawing with Michelle, at the Garden Table at the front of the Market!

Thanks for forwarding our Newsletter to your friends and family! We hope to see you soon!

Welcome to the Doolin Saturday Market and Craft Fair!

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23 Jun. 08

Welcome to the first edition of the Doolin Saturday Market and Craft Fair Newsletter!

By now, we hope that you have all heard about the Doolin Saturday Market and Craft Fair, that is held every Saturday from 10 until 4 at the Russell Community Centre in Doolin, County Clare! Our Grand Opening was a great success on June 7th, and you can view photos of the events on the McGann’s website at www.mcgannspubdoolin.com (click on Image Gallery at the top of the page). Thanks to Shay McGowan for taking the photos and putting them online!

So far the Market is going very well, with over 20 stallholders every week providing a combination of locally produced crafts with a variety of fresh foods and plants. All of the goods are of a high quality, and new products are added almost every week. We hope that you and your friends will stop in from time to time to see what’s there, and maybe have a cup of tea and a bite to eat! It has a very pleasant atmosphere, and provides an enjoyable daytime activity very reasonably priced, especially on a dull day, or even on the way to the beach on a fine one! Pick up a loaf of home-made bread, some local cheeses, and some delicious fruit salad to take with you for the day!

From time to time, we plan to let you know about special events we have planned, such as cookery demonstrations, barbeques, and other community events. We do not charge admission to the Market, nor to any of the special events. And we plan to let you know a bit more about some of our interesting stalls!

This week, we would like to tell you about Mairead Sharry, because we think you would really love to meet her! From Inisheer, Mairead is the last spinner and weaver on the Aran Islands. She uses the wool of island sheep to spin, dye, weave, and felt her products in vibrant natural colours and interesting designs, including hats, scarves, jumpers, bags, and criosa (belts). She also sells hand spun and dyed yarn. Mairead brings her spinning wheel to the market, where you can watch her as she demonstrates the art of spinning wool every week.

If you would like more information, or want to get in touch with us, email Toby at doolinmarket@gmail.com.

Hope to see you soon!