Lucinda O'Sullivan's Ireland

Wednesday 16 August 2017

Street food has never been so popular. These days every cuisine imaginable, from hearty English pies, to German frankfurters, to Maine lobster rolls, are being served up by street vendors, either from market stalls or a van at the side of the road. It's also a great time for food festivals, with counties from Donegal to Cork embracing the very best their localities have to offer, says Lucinda O'Sullivan. So, whether you’re after fish n’ chips by the sea, momos at the market, or great BBQ grub and live music, here are my Top 20 hottest street-food vendors, local markets and food festivals.

3 Leaves
Santosh Thomas’ delightful 3 Leaves Indian street food venue at Dublin's Blackrock Market is proving a real hit. Think spicy balchaoo calamari, vegetable or lamb momos, samosa chaat or maybe some protein and vitamin rich sprouted mung dhal chaat.
blackrockmarket.com/3leaves

Howth Market
In the ever popular fishing town of Howth, Co. Dublin, their weekend market by the pier is loved by locals and tourists alike. With lots of baked goods, organic produce, clothes, antiques, jewellery and more, be sure to check out Amore’s and grab yourself some Italian artisan gelato.
howthmarket.ie

People’s Park Market
At the edge of Dun Laoghaire town centre, this Victorian era park, complete with tearooms, gate lodge and bandstand, does a great weekend market with great street food, including Dan Murphy’s Irish Charcoal BBQ, Food Fiesta fab Basque cuisine or Arctic Stone, Ireland’s first hand rolled ice-cream company.
dlrcoco.ie

Herbert Park
The prestine lawns of D4's Herbert Park now host a great Sunday food market. It's a fab place to introduce the kids to different cuisines - and show them the ducks too. Check out the latest healthy food rage – Hawiian poke bowls at the blue tented Shaka Poke, and Kimchimera's cracking Korean burritos. Also, The Big Grill Festival takes place here from August 17th-20th.  
facebook.com/farmersmarketbiggrillfestival.com

The Boulevard
Located between Dublin’s Beacon shopping centre and the Stillorgan Luas stop, the Boulevard Lunchtime Market takes place every Tuesday, brightening the day and adding soul to this office block riddled locale, with live music and great street food, from burgers to burritos to bratwurst to bento boxes and beyond!
irishvillagemarkets.ie

Kilruddery Farm Market
Set within the walled courtyard of the Earl of Meath’s Kilruddery House, you'll find lots of food producers as well as great hot food vendors at this Saturday Market, including The Lebanese Kitchen, pancakes from Mandy and ice-cream from the Kilruddery ice-cream bike. Check out the flea market here too, which is held every second week.
kilruddery.com

Enniscorthy Rockin’ Food Festival
Taking to the main stage this weekend is the Enniscorthy Rockin' Food Fest, where today and tomorrow you can cut loose with great live music, open-air markets, craft beer sellers, food and drink trails and some really superb street food from a range of vendors. Lots of fun events planned for the little rockers too!
enniscorthyfoodietown.ie

A Taste of West Cork
The 2017 Taste of West Cork Food Festival is a full blown affair taking place from the 8th-17th Sept. It brings together a unique mix of food markets, demonstrations, competitions, dinners, brunches and banquets, food tastings, children’s events and more.
atasteofwestcork.com

Bandon Farmers’ Market
On the go since 2006, this food market takes place each Saturday in the car park of the Old Market Garden. Check out Nature’s Snacks’ brownies, Upbeet Salads to go, and Nathan Wall of Baltimore Bacon, who does delish hot sausage and bacon rolls from his free-range pigs.
facebook.com/bandonfarmersmarket

Catch of the Day
Kinsale in Co. Cork, draws gourmands like moths to a flame. It’s not all posh nosh tho’ as Kinsale is also home to one of the best darn fish n’ chip vans around. Head out of town to the 'New Bridge', where you’ll find Catch of Day, and if fish isn't your bag, the Pizza Rustika truck is reeling them in too.
facebook.com

The Lobster Man
At the weekly Midleton Market in Co. Cork, there’s lots of great foodie finds, like Mike Barrett’s, AKA The Lobster Man, bounty of fab shellfish, which he hauls from the depths personally. Try his luscious lobster rolls.
facebook.com/people/michael-barrett

Feast
East Cork’s annual Midleton Food & Drink festival hit the ground running fifteen years ago. Now rebranded as Feast, the fest, Sept 3rd-10th, brings together vendors and producers, with fringe events, and lots of fun with jugglers, stilt walkers and folk music too.
feastcork.ie

Dingle Farmers' Market
Between Fungi the fish and fungi the food, Dingle is a foodie hot spot with its annual food fest running from Sept 29th – Oct 1st. There's a great weekly Friday market too. Look out for Bacchus Bakery's mascarpone and mushroom focaccia, Crème de la Crepe, Dingle Fudge and more.
facebook.com/dinglefarmersmarket 

Doolin Craft Beer & Roots Festival
With more than 20 Irish craft breweries as well as some tasty food and live music, the annual Doolin Craft Beer & Roots Fest in Co. Clare, August 25th – 27th, is the perfect way to cap off the summer. Great food, great music and excellent beer.
doolinfestivals.ie

The Milk Market
Under a dramatic fixed ‘white sails’ canopy of Gulliver’s Travel’s proportions, Limerick’s Milk Market, Fri – Sun weekly, is a must, with a fantastic range of food stalls, as well as clothing and arts & crafts. Nibble on great Turkish baklava, Piog pies, smoked fish and crepes. Saturday is the really big food and socialising day.
milkmarketlimerick.ie

Taste The Atlantic: A Seafood Journey
A perfect way to keep us foodies active, Taste The Atlantic is a fishy trail that brings you on a culinary adventure along our rugged coasts, from Galway to Donegal, with lots of mouth-watering pit stops, from cafes and restaurants to farms and fishingports. If something tastes fishy, then you're probably on the right track!
wildatlanticway.com

Inishwallah
You won't find anything funkier than Inishwallah, a kitch, repurposed double decker bus, in the Westquarter of Inishboffin Island, Co. Galway, that turns out some ab-fab Middle Eastern street food. Think lamb and pistachio kebabs or a lemongrass and ginger infused crab cake sandwich. Don’t miss Inishboffin’s annual Bia Bo Food Fest, from Sep 30th – Oct 2nd.
facebook.com/inishwallah

Strandhill People’s Market
Taking place every Sunday from 11am – 4pm at Hangar 1 of Sligo Airport, just a few minutes from the beach. There's a healthy mix of varied food and drink stalls, as well as craft and artisan producers with their various wares, and the nearby Knockarea Mountain as a scenic backdrop.
strandhillpeoplesmarket.ie

Taste of Donegal
From August 25th – 27th, the now familiar tented village of the Taste of Donegal food festival will be back on the pier in Donegal Town. There will be over 120 food and drink exhibitors, a great line up of local and celebrity chefs like Kevin Dundon and Derry Clarke, and an unbelievable range of foods.
atasteofdonegal.com

Taste of Cavan
Mushrooming from a tiny festival into a massive event with over 120 food stalls, from Aug 11th – 12th you can graze all day on everything from burgers to ice-cream to exotic foods. There’s also a great line up of top chefs like Nevin Maguire, Maire Dufficy and Gearoid Lynch demonstrating their skills. Make sure you get a taste!
tasteofcavan.ie