Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr John Sheehan pictured with Lady Mayoress Aedamar Sheehan shopping for dinner with butcher Eoin O'Mahony at the English Market in early March. Photo: Clare Keogh

Buzz will be back in English Market

I remember the first time I set foot in the English Market - it was the year 1999 and I was in awe of the buzz in the market, the poultry hanging from the ceilings and the wonderful aroma from the different stalls.

I was used to indoor markets as I lived near one in Germany but the beauty that is the English Market makes it a special treat.

Since then, the market has been a weekly must visit place when I was in town for meetings. I never left the market without buying some cheese from On the Pigs Back and Iago (now located in Princes Street), bacon from Stephen’s stall, spices from Mr Bell, olives from Toby at the Real Olive Company and so on.

I miss my weekly spin into town, meeting up with friends and popping into the market. I have made friends there – Isabelle from On the Pigs Back, Tim from The Chicken Inn and Julian at Bubble Brothers.

I have interviewed Pat O’Connell, enjoyed delicious food in the Farmgate Café and have taken every visitor from abroad to see and feel the beauty of the place.

The market is currently out of my allowed radius (I am sticking to the stay at home rule) but it is encouraging to know that the market is still trading – some stallholders with reduced opening times – and that all safety measures are in place to ensure the wellbeing of its visitors.

Tom Durcan, Chicken Inn, Chocolate Shop and Bubble Brothers among others are offering a delivery service, while a call and collect service is widely available. Coffee lovers will be delighted to hear that Coffee Central is offering take-away coffee.

A trading market has been at this site since 1788 but only in the 19th century was the structure we know and love today built. The beautiful entrance at Princes Street was built in 1862 and it is one of the most photographed views in Cork.

The name English Market came to stick when the ‘Irish market’ opened in St Peter’s Place in Cornmarket Street in competition to the ‘posh market’.

Every travel book about Ireland and Cork has the English Market listed as a must-see tourist attraction and at times it was difficult to get through the hordes of tourists to get to your favourite stall but it was the buzz that makes this market so unique.

The English Market has always been my first point of call when I was looking for a specific food item – for example when I wanted to re-cook the winning menu of ‘The Great British Menu’ many moons ago and was looking for ox cheeks. O’Flynn’s butchers in Marlboro Street – my favourite butcher and still operating during the lockdown – didn’t have them but referred me to Bresnan’s in the market.

I walked home with fresh ox cheeks (I will never forget the face of the butcher when I said I was going to eat the meat rather than giving it to the dog!) and my guests thought I was a culinary genius (they are not wrong but then, they are biased!).

Mr Bell’s has one of the best spice selections and sold loose grains and beans before we thought of reducing packaging.

My potential orders would be too small to justify home delivery but I am looking forward to the day when I can return to get the best chicken broth, delicious farmhouse cheese and fresh fish and some good old banter to go with it.