UL boasts a wide variety of vendors. It is held in the students union courtyard every Tuesday from 12 to 5:30.The popularity of the market with both students and staff was evident today as despite the intermittent heave rain showers the flow of customers was steady.
The stalls onsite today included the following.
Sara Woulfe – El Chilli Loco - Serving a deliciously spicy selection of salsas Pickles and Sauces, as well as amazing homemade soup, Just the thing for students in a hurry!
Next Door was Marion Roelevid from Killeen Farm with a wide selection of Goat and cow’s milk cheeses with a delicious choice of flavours on offer.
Peter “The Pie Man” Gibson offers a variety of... well Pies I guess! But no boring soggy ham and chicken here instead a selection of Duck Pies Dry Cured Bacon and Courgette, and Beef and Guinness were the order of the day. I can’t see any students coming home to Mum complaining of not eating with delicacies like these on offer!
For those with even more adventurous taste buds Tom Gems was producing fresh Sushi and I have to saw i was licky to get a photo of a full plate with the speed that this stuff was disappearing, It’s a long way from the curry chips I had to sustain me on my lunch bread when I was in College!
Stephanie Guerin from Adare Farm was also here selling fresh corn on the cob from the crop planted to feed hungry farmers at the ploughing championships. It was available au-natural or as vacuumed packed cobs for freshness!
Keeping on the Fresh Veg track there was an amazingly wide selection of Veg from the Lough Boora Farm Organic Vegetables stand. This is a very innovative organisation who offers a
shopping basket service allowing customers to order their veg and collect it in lovely wicker baskets all ready to go. The baskets are returned and reused! For more information on this great idea contact Tony Garahy on 086-2668217.Across the courtyard lay some treats of a sweeter nature!
Firstly I visited Fran Dowling on her Fruit and Nut Bakes stall. With both sweet and Savoury items on offer from raspberry and almond bakes to sundried tomato pesto and feta slices!
Right next door was the familiar face of David Mc Caffrey from Sallymills Bakery, I had met David before at Limericks Milk Market, He had his usual amazing selection of cakes and treats on offer including delicious carrot cake ( one of my personal favourites ) Sallymills won a Gold medal for confectionary in the recent Blas na hEireann Food Awards so the quality of their products is plain to see.
For those looking to top up on their omega oils Stephen Joyce was on hand with a selection of fresh fish and Shellfish and with Ling and Pollock Fillets for only €10 per KG it was a busy day for Stephen, who by the way will prepare your fish for you so it is pan, oven or grill ready!I saved the Wilde Irish Artisan Chocolate Makers Stall for last!
Based in Tuamgraney in Co. Clare ( Near Scariff ) near the shores of Lough Derg. They offer a wide selection of products and their fair-trade and organic bars have won awards at the Great Taste Awards.
Also selling almost every kind of fudge you could think of from Pistachio to Porter! You are sure to find something to your taste!
Some of the regular stalls like Ginger Girl were not there today (She’s busy with Wedding
preparations!) but event the weather could not dampen the feeling that it Is initiatives like this that will keep the Irish pallet used to the better things with great value and fresh products sold in a great atmosphere!This will also be the location for a Craft fair on the first 3 Tuesdays of December with Craft Irems from Local Craftspeople UL Staff and Postgrads.
A slide show is below and all the photos are available online [ Here ]
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