Limerick's Marvellous Milk Market
More popular than ever!
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| Lovely to meet up with Lucy - we usually see her in Mahon - from Ballyhoura Mountain Mushrooms. As always, she had a huge selection on offer. We bought these for lunch. The white ones are the highly versatile White Beech mushrooms while the velvet topped ones are Velvet Pioppino, also known as Poplar as they they are commonly found growing on the stumps of Poplar trees. Be sure and check the Ballyhoura website for more details and the best way to use these and other mushrooms. |
More popular than ever! That's what I read on the brochure and that's saying a lot as the market was founded in 1852. You'll have no bother finding it; just look out for the sky-reaching white "dome" that covers quadrangular space between four rows of single storied stores and shops in Cornmarket Row. Or just follow the crowds, particularly on Saturday morning, the busiest day when it’s open from 8am to 3.00pm and when the emphasis is very much on the Farmers Market aspect. There's also much to see there on Fridays (lunch specials - cafe culture & live music) between 10am and 3.00pm and also on Sunday's Family Day (11am to 3.00pm), relax with coffee, cheese, crêpes, chocolates, occasional crafts - and yoga! Besides, the permanent market shops are open daily.
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| The Flying Cheese Brigade are one of the cheese sellers in the market. They also service other local markets. This Cratloe Hills Sheep's Cheese is produced by Sean and Deirdre Fitzgerald at their farm in Brickhill, Co. Clare since 1988. It is the first sheep's cheese to be produced in the country and a big favourite of mine. |
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| We also bought this Tomme De Savoie from the Brigade. For old times sake! Many moons ago, when we used go to France with the kids, we bought this on a regular basis at markets and supermarkets there. It is mild and milky and proved very popular with the children. This is not the only "tomme" in France. |
And it’s not just food, though most people seem to come for that - we certainly had our bags with us. You may get jewellery here, soap, arts and crafts, fashion (including vintage), health and beauty products, horticultural items (including plants and bulbs), and more (including lots of hot food stalls). You can even take part in a tour of the market to get your bearings. You'll have to visit - this piece and the pictures are only scratching the surface!
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| O'Driscoll Fish, from Schull, is a regular call for us when we visit the Mahon Farmers Market. Indeed, you'll find their freshly caught reasonably priced fish at quite a few markets so perhaps it was no surprise to find them here in Limerick. |
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| Colour ahead! |
The Milk Market venue is very special and popular at Christmas and there are quite a few events throughout the year. It hosts on average eight large concerts each year featuring both national and international artists separate to over a dozen community, corporate and private market events each year. The venue is available for hire for a host of events from corporate to family events including movie nights, private BBQ dining, gala dinners, receptions, outdoor games, music, weddings, themed events, product launches and parties.
Want to know more about this thriving market? Check it all out here.
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| Nolan's of Corbally Butchers had some very tempting prepared dishes on offer and it took us quite a while to make up our minds before we bought a Moroccan sirloin stir fry for Saturday evening's dinner. It turned out very well indeed as you can see below. |
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| A top notch brown sourdough from one of the bread stalls. |
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| We had been looking at the prawn stir-fry above before choosing the beef one |
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| There were some magnificent vegetable stalls at the market but I'm afraid I didn't get a good pic. We did buy these sprouts though and they were excellent. |
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| I hadn't been blogging for very long at all when, in Feb 2010, I highlighted the quality of Inch House Black Pudding. The post went down well, not least at Inch house, and soon I received a superb recipe from Nora. If you'd like to try it out yourself, this is the link. I bought this from Peter at the huge and so very popular Country Choice. |
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| We met Olivier of On the Wild Side last year at the weekly market in Kenmare. We enjoyed his Pork and Plum Paté on that occasion and couldn't resist buying another slice of it in Limerick. He does lots of cured meats as well including a beetroot and pork saucisson and a delicious chorizo and you're in luck if he has his Merguez Lamb Sausages on sale. |
Taste the Place. Superb Dinner at Limerick Strand Hotel.
A Shannonside Star; Staying at the Limerick Strand Hotel
