By Rhoda Twombly & Aisling Moran

There is nothing like an outdoor market to perk a community up. During these days of isolation and Covid, the people of Sherkin Island have opened a creative, healthy and original food and crafts market.

Sherkin, a small island off the west coast of Co Cork Ireland, has a year-round population of 110 and is known as Island of the Arts. It is no wonder as the inspiring and varied scenery and diversity of plants and animals attracts a range of creative people – writers, painters, crafters and photographers.   Sherkin is the only off-shore island where you can achieve a BA in Visual Arts and is now home to the first weekly market on the West Cork Islands.

Dan O’Connor reports that the Sherkin Market was opened for business the 12^th of July and will open on Sundays into the future. Aisling notes that, “There was a big increase in market stalls with crepes and photography added to the list of items on offer. With cooler weather than the previous week, food vendors mostly sold out their stocks of stew, frittata, broccoli salad, seaweed salad, home baked cakes and some carrageen moss puddings with Irish Coffee sauce. Knitwear and homemade essential oils and extremely overgrown courgettes were also available. The good news is that Norman’s record player is working perfectly again and Julian entertained the marketers with a great selection from his vast record collection.”

Hands up everyone who wants to make a beeline for this market!