Dublin Flea Market

For several months I have looked at the notifications on Facebook for the next Dublin Flea Market and said to myself, YES I should go to this!

There was something funky and interesting about it from what I had read on their blog. It being on just once a month though made it difficult and I only made it yesterday to the June market for the first time ever. I was barely in the door when I heard a powerful voice belting out a song round the corner and thought ‘I know that voice’ and off I headed, pushing through the crowds to discover the beautiful Nell Bryden singing at the top of her voice in the heat and humidity and buzz of the market.

Cool! Having met her recently while filming Darragh’s interview with her, I said a quick hello to Nell before she was whisked off to be interviewed by Flea TV, the official Flea Market channel, recording and interviewing the artists who come to entertain the crowds.

Wandering around the market, there were stalls full of jewellery, mostly second hand and some new and handmade by the stall holders, lots of retro, pre-loved clothes, shoes and books. One of the more popular stalls had a wonderful collection of old jewellery, hats, ornamental little things, old postcards and greeting cards both used and unused and, randomly, a few old chinese bank notes! It was at this stall that I made my one purchase of the day, a pretty butterfly brooch which reminds me of the era of my grandmother and the type of costume jewellery she’d have worn, particularly brooches, on her ‘good’ winter coat (A bargain at €7.00!)

Interestingly, on the Dublin Flea blog they invite people to create their poster for each month’s market and then choose one which they’ll use on the blog and about town. With this they have built up an eclectic mix of posters, prints of which you can purchase for €5.00 each at the market. This months poster was designed by Stephen McCarthy.

The next Flea Market will be on July 26 next at The Coop, Newmarket, Dublin 8, 11am to 6pm as always.

It definitely is “a bizarre bazaar of vintage clothing, bric-a-brac and what nots in Dublin’s city centre” and worth an hour or two of your time to browse the stalls, have a Belgian waffle from the waffle stand or a pizza and and coffee from the Freedom Café and chill out on the sofas watching whatever musical talents are on display. A perfect Sunday afternoon!