Update on Country Markets Ltd

31/01/2012

The first Management Comittee meeting of 2012 took place on 23/01/2012.

PR, website, funding, budgets, area meetings, and the events calender were on the agenda.

Website
We are now able to view the traffic to the website and discover more about what our visitors are looking for. After much discussion the changes, based on what we have learned were agreed on. Some changes will be made sooner than others, as our web designer has other commitments. We will also be incorporating the Bridgestone Award, and highlighting our membership of the Craft Council of Ireland.

Public Relations
I am delighted that Bord Bia have given us sponsorship of 500 euros towards our PR budget for the 65th anniversary celebrations. As part of the celebrations we are working on a one day event in Dublin during the Summer. This event will highlight the weekly markets held around the country. A pop up market is being investigated on St Stephens Green, opposite the site of The Country Shop.

The Country Shop was opened by Muriel Gahan in 1930 as a restaurant, as well as an outlet for the sale of country crafts and home produce. I hope to make a presentation to The Lord Mayor of Dublin on behalf of Country Markets Ltd on the same day.

Area Meetings
Due to popular demand the area meetings will be held in March. We hope to have the dates and venues confirmed in the next week or so. Details of events such as Bloom, Dublin Horse Show, National Ploughing Championship, Electric Picnic and smaller regional events will be available. Markets will be able to consider their commitment to such events in advance of the closing dates for application.

We are costing customised carrier bags. The mock- up of these brown paper bags, complete with logo will also be available to see. The supplier has agreed if the order is placed centrally, the bags can be delivered locally.

Media
Country Markets continue to feature in Easyfood magazine. David Curran, our National Treasurer has given tips and advice on vegetable growing for beginners in the February and March editions. Those who want to grow cut flowers for their home, check out the April edition. Gloria Everett from Waterford branch grows for her market and has many happy customers.

Market Visit

I will be in Naas on Friday 03/02/2012 at the AGM. The branch is celebrating 60 years in business later this year. Don't forget to send them good wishes, it is a wonderful achievement and I am really looking forward to visiting the market.

Seasons Greetings!

The first Country Market was held on 17th of January 1947 in Fethard, Co Tipperary. The Irish economy still displayed all the effects of wartime dislocation, rationing, rising inflation, falling living standards and frequent strikes.
The Big Snow of 1947 began one week later. Of the fifty days between January 24th and March 17th it snowed on thirty of them. In places the driving winds caused snowdrifts that reached the tops of telegraph poles. The country came to a complete standstill, and the plummeting temperatures caused many deaths of people and livestock. Yet people persevered and their resilience got them through.

At the moment it doesn’t look as if 2012 will be any better than 2011, but perspective is important at this time. It might be a good idea to look back at how our ancestors faced their challenges.

Over 400,000 people left Ireland in the 1950s, at home many lived in very poor housing conditions from inner city tenements, to town and rural hovels. Poverty was rife and many people were confined in dreadful institutions.

Opportunities for country women to earn money and craftworkers to sell their work were few. The founders of Country Markets Ltd realised that working together for a common cause could help. This grass roots initiative of self and mutual help came to fruition when the first branch market opened in Fethard.

Today standards in housing, education , income and benefits are much better. What ever problems we have today are mild compared to those faced by people in 1947.

Country Markets have the framework for a viable future,which has stood the test of time. Country Markets Ltd currently has 61 branch markets, membership of 1051 and continues to attract new members.

Had our ancestors not faced their many challenges we would not be here. Lets make 2012 a year when Country Markets rises to the challenge.

A very Happy New Year to you all.

JamGate continues on Shannonside local radio 04/01/2012

After a week or more of debate in the letters page of the Irish Times about Granard Country Market jam (see last post 27/11/2011), there was an interview on Shannonside local radio today. James Crowden, the British food and drinks writer who bought the jam and Alan Harrison, producer of the jam and member of Granard Country Market were on the Joe Finnegan Show this morning.

Throughout the week several people have written to The Irish Times expressing their annoyance at the confiscation of very ordinary food items by anti terrorist police in Dublin Airport. After the jam was confiscated Mr Crowden had only to travel a few hundred yards further where he could buy lots of duty free jam.

Throughout the radio show several loyal customers of the Granard branch market rang in to endorse Alan’s beautiful homemade, additive free jams.

A letter to The Irish Times 27/12/2011

 

A sticky encounter at the airport

·                                 Sir, – One of Britain’s finest food and drink writers has had three pots of Irish homemade jam confiscated from him at Dublin airport by the anti-terrorism police.

James Crowden, who has won the Andre Simon Food Award for his book Ciderland, had been invited by Bord Bia to address a meeting of apple-growers and cider-makers in Drogheda about the history of Irish cider and the future for artisan cider-making.

The next day he went to Granard, the birthplace of his great, great, great, grandfather, Dennis Crowden. And in the Greville Arms, where a peat fire was burning nicely, he purchased three jars of homemade jam from a man called Alan who had just finished his stint at the Granard Country Markets. James bought three jars of jam (apricot, plum and blackberry), from him. Each had a traceable number. The value of the jam was €2.50 a jar, having local discount for buying in bulk.

These three jars of jam were to be a Christmas present to James’s father who is housebound in Somerset, England but still makes excellent jam. A small Christmas present from Granard and Co Longford.

Three hours later while boarding his flight back to Bristol EI3286 – on December 16th James Crowden was stopped by customs and anti-terrorism police at Dublin airport Terminal 1. His hand luggage was searched and the three jars of jam were confiscated. He was given no reason other than that they were in the wrong shaped jar. The jar should have been 100ml. The jam was not tested and neither was a receipt given for the jam. The jam was perfectly solid and was not a liquid.

We are calling on the authorities to give a full explanation for their actions and return the jam to its rightful owner via the good office of the solicitors Pol O’Murchu.

It seems ironic that Mr Crowden, who was invited over by Bord Bia to give advice on how to boost the Irish rural economy should be penalised in this way. These regulations obviously have a detrimental effect not only on the growth of Irish rural industry and country markets, but Irish tourism as well. Two vital ingredients to Ireland’s recovery.

In the UK, specially-trained dogs, usually spaniels, are used to sniff out explosives. Why not employ specially trained Irish dogs to sniff out homemade country market jam? That way customs would have an easy test and save lost of time and embarrassment.

What Mr Crowden wants to know is what did they do with the three jars of jam? Did they destroy them with a controlled explosion? Put them in a landfill site? Incinerate them? Or take them home and eat the jam themselves? The Irish nation needs answers. – Is mise,

PÓL Ó MURCHÚ,

Aturnaetha,

Cé Urmhumhan Uachtarach,

Baile Átha Cliath 7.

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Media Update 22/12/011

Country Markets will have a column in February 2012 issue of Easy Food magazine.This time we've gone for a garden theme. David Curran, National Treasurer and member of Fethard branch in Tipperary, has done a beginners guide to growing potatoes and vegetables. It's a great opportunity to showcase the great variety of produce and skill within the markets.

Check out this new blog by my Country Market colleague Sandra Bogan
 http://myrtledesigns.blogspot.com/

Portlaoise News 10/12/2011

 

Two members from Portlaoise Country Market have been selected to exhibit their crafts at the 2011 Year of Craft Exhibition in Dunamise Arts Centre, Portlaoise. Mary Meehan and Abigail Melia will display their millinery and jewellery alongside other craft workers, designers and artists from Laoise and further afield. A Pop Up Craft Shop on 17/12/2011 will allow the public to meet the exibitors and buy their work. The exhibition runs for the month of December.

http://www.dunamaise.ie

News from Stradbally Country Market 10/12/2011

Mary Phelan, an investigative consumer journalist with Irish Country Living magazine visited Stradbally branch of Country Markets today. Mary was there to get some photos to accompany her feature which I believe will be in next weeks issue.

Mary Phelan

Stradbally have been going from strength to strength since they started almost a year ago. Two of the fouding members are daughters of a past member of my own market in Granard, Co. Longford, and so the tradition lives on.

St Patrick’s Hall was filled with a great selection of Christmas fare, excellent fresh vegetables, along with beautiful holly wreaths, jewellery, cards and craft.

It takes a lot of work to achieve what Stradbally have, and in such a short time, so well done everyone.

The Bridgestone Award won at Electric Picnic