New to the Market!

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!!!

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!