New Cottage Market for Offaly
20 Cottage Markets are set to open in towns across the country this year as a result of the ‘Cottage Market’ initiative unveiled by GIY and supported by Ulster Bank and The Ireland Funds.
Last month community groups from across the country were invited to apply to the initiative for funding in order to establish and run their very own Cottage Market. 20 groups have been successful in their applications and they will now be awarded with a tailor made training programme, which will provide them with the skills they need in order to firmly place fresh homegrown and homemade food back into the hearts of their communities.
Pictured is GIY community manager Karen O’Donohoe & Founder of GIY Michael Kelly. 20 Cottage Markets are set to open in towns across the country this year as a result of the ‘Cottage Market’ initiative unveiled by GIY and supported by Ulster Bank and The Ireland Funds. The locations include, Cavan, Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Laois, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Waterford, Limerick, Mayo, Monaghan, Offaly and Tipperary. For further details see http://thecottagemarket.ie
The twenty new market locations include Ballyconnell in Cavan, Kildorey in Cork, Minane Bridge in Cork, Moville in Donegal, Raheny Dublin, Galway, Galway, Portumna in Galway, Cathair Saidhbhin in Kerry, Tralee in Kerry, Newbridge in Kildare, Callan in Kilkenny, Mountrath in Laois, Pallasgreen in Limerick, Kilmallock in Limerick, Claremorris in Mayo, Coolshanagh in Monaghan, Birr county Offaly, Nenagh in Tipperary and Waterford City.
The teams behind the 20 new markets will later this month undertake a training course at GROW HQ in Waterford, GIY’s Food Education Centre and home to the GIY movement. Each group will also receive funding towards marketing, insurance and set up equipment costs.
In Birr county Offaly organiser’s behind the market say that apart from putting local food back on the local menu, they would like to use the market to bring local producers together such that they can build a menu of produce that is avilable locally. This work, in collaboration with Birr 2020´s Food Pillar, is part of an initiative to get local food into the restauraunts, B+Bs, hotels, and cafes, and is part of a generl push to reinvent Birr as a tourist destination by 2020. The team behind the new Cottage Market is aiming to host their first market in May.
Commenting at the announcement of the 20 new Cottage Market’s GIY’s Community Manager Karen O’Donohoe said, “We are delighted to help open 20 Cottage Markets across the country this summer, our call out to communities in Ireland for applications was successful, and we were very impressed by the vision and quality of the applications, it is wonderful to see such a huge interest in growing, creating and selling local produce right across the country.”
According to GIY a Cottage Market differs from a Farmer’s Market concept in that it is all about bringing hobbyists and amateur producers from a local area together to showcase their often hidden skills and talents in areas such growing, sewing or baking.
For further details on each of the existing Cottage Markets see http://thecottagemarket.ie/ and for news of the new markets and details of the opening dates follow @GIYCottageMarket on social media.
About GIY:
GIY (Grow It Yourself), founded in 2008 by Michael Kelly, is a not for profit social enterprise based in Waterford that inspires, trains and supports people to grow and cook their own food at home, school, work and in the community. Its core mission is to reconnect people with good food and help them to live healthier, happier and more sustainable lives. With over 150,000 GIYers growing fresh and seasonal food within 5,500 community food groups in Ireland and the UK people are taking up the call to positive action and joining GIY’s ‘Food Empathy revolution’.
