Castlebellingham in Co Louth has become a buzz-word in the evolving landscape of rural Ireland because it now boasts one of the largest farmers' and craft markets in the State.
Held every second Sunday, the market which began last April, has been attracting thousands of buyers and sellers from both sides of the Border.
The market is part of an upsurge in the movement by producers to sell directly to the consumer rather than use the supermarkets many producers feel are taking too much of their profit.
Typical of the new breed of farmers who are selling directly to the public for the first time is Mr Gerry Finnegan, a potato and beef producer from Termonfeckin, Co Louth.
"I decided to give this market a go when it opened in April and I now know that it is a worthwhile venture," said Mr Finnegan who grows 25 acres of potatoes.
"I supply supermarkets as well but when you do that you have to extend credit and take the price they offer. This way you can sell directly and get cash on the day. It also offers the consumer the chance to meet the grower and I have built up a loyal band of buyers who know me and want the spuds I grow."
He said there was a growing realisation among farmers that this was a way of raising much needed money and having more control on their own operations.
"The organic growers have been at this for years but I am seeing more and more conventional growers coming here and offering their produce," he said.
Mr Seán McArdle, who operates Irish Farmers Markets, a consultancy firm which advises on the establishment of markets, chose the Castlebellingham site last year.
Mr Pascal Kennan of the Bellingham Castle Hotel saw the benefit in having the market on the grounds of the hotel from both a trade and community point of view.
"We have very close links here with the local farming community and with the Irish Farmers Association and it seemed like a good idea to use the ground floor of the hotel and the car parks for the stalls. It has worked very well," he said.
Mr McArdle explained that many of the market sites traditionally used by farmers came with a number of problems.
"In this day and age plenty of parking is needed because people travel and shop using their cars. This site is ideal. In fact, the Castlebellingham experiment has been so successful that it is being used as a template for other such markets around the country," said Mr McArdle.
The rural development groups are working against a deadline to re-establish markets in provincial towns because, if they fail to do so by next July, rights and charters held by producers will be extinguished under existing legislation controlling casual trading.
With tensions growing between the supermarkets and the farmers on the issue of price taking, farm organisations and rural development groups see direct selling as a method around the problem.
A list of farmers' markets is available on the Bord Bia website, www.bordbia.ie
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