Dublin Outdoor Markets: Pop-Up Shopping in the City
Shopping in Dublin outdoor markets in the city center retains the old-world appeal of high street hunting and gathering. While the two main districts of Temple Bar / Grafton Street on the South Side and Henry Street on the North Side continue to thrive, it‘s the smaller pop-up Dublin outdoor markets that dot the city which offer a closer look at Dublin’s taste in fashion, literature and dessert! From central spots for books and snacks to the earthly delights of serious bargain shopping, Dublin’s market culture keeps shoppers on their feet and in delight year 'round.
On the south side of the city Temple Bar’s thriving cultural quarter tempts taste buds with a weekend Food Market that takes over main thoroughfares and alleys with the smells and flavors of international cuisine, not to mention classic Irish menus. Open grills, fresh vegetable stands plus organic honey, chocolates and more are all for the tasting most Saturdays throughout the year.
Smaller by far than the sprawling food faire is the weekly Temple Bar Book Market. Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., tables of gently used paper backs, hard covers, coffee table tomes and music are put on display in Temple Bar’s central square. Browsing is recommended and amiable chats with stall owners are inevitable, paving the way for good-natured haggling should a title or two demand to be taken home.
A short walk to George’s Street drops shoppers at the arched gates of George’s Arcade – a Victorian covered market as well known for its incredible variety of clothing, food, sweets, records, beauty and jewelry shops as for the colorful clientele found crowding the coffee shops and bakery inside.
Fifteen minutes walk from the city center, bargain hunters jostle for elbow room in the stalls of the Liberty Market. Here, a brisk trade in bargain goods takes place Thursdays to Saturdays year 'round. From “designer” wear, handbags and deeply discounted costume jewelry, to suspiciously inexpensive electronics and less-than-official movie releases, prices are infamously low at Liberty Market (buyers, beware of unbelievable bargains!), and regular clientele are as much part of the show as the crowded, heavily stocked market itself.
On the north side at the very edge of the city’s Docklands, the Point Village Market’s growing reputation for delicious treats and interesting buys is making the far-flung knot of stalls and stands a destination perfect for summery Saturdays by the sea.
Posted on Mar 28, 2011 by Bridget Reilly
