Sligo Town, County Sligo was one of the larger towns we visited on our trip and was the farthest north we ventured, very close to the border of Northern Ireland. It was drizzling rain and the cold wind forced us into a
pub to drink an Irish coffee for warmth. Lo and behold, when we left the pub, the sun was shining and it was a beautiful morning. It’s amazing what a little Irish whisky will do for your mood. We walked along the Rockwood Parade, taking pictures of the Garvoge River, the pedestrian bridges, 
and baskets of blooming flowers, making our way deeper into the shopping streets. The town centers in Ireland are mazelike with streets coming in at all angles and at the spot where several converge there is almost always a monument.
In the bigger towns, there are several center points so it’s an adventure walking around to discover what kind of shops are on that street.
That’s how I found M. Cosgrove & Son 
Delicatessen on Market Street. Like most other food shops, the front door was open, inviting me in to wonderland. I loved this tiny shop. It was jam-packed with beautiful
provisions and I wanted to buy it all. There was a path down the middle with shelves and cases, floor to ceiling on either side filled with everything imaginable for any meal, a romantic dinner or picnic…cheeses, olives, 
jams, cured meats, lovely salads, nuts, and sweets. There was also a wonderful selection of dry goods to stock a pantry…grains, beans, lentils, peas, tea, coffee, flours. (I’m swooning as I write)
There are so many things that make Cosgrove’s my pick as favorite
shop. It’s inviting, colorful, clean, crowded, well stocked, and family owned. We were on a tight schedule in Sligo and didn’t have much time to linger, which is the biggest drawback for joining a group tour, so I didn’t have time to talk to Michael Cosgrove, the third generation who is now managing the store. He was there; in his white smock stocking shelves and seemed not to mind me taking picture after picture and squealing every time I saw another item I wanted to buy. If I had more time, I could have stayed all morning 
asking him about his family and the history of the shop. The store was founded in 1898 by Michael’s grandfather and I wonder if there’s a fourth generation ready to take over someday. I surely hope so. This kind of business is what gives a community stability, deep roots for generations of Sligo shoppers, and a direct connection between consumer and provider. Visiting this shop gives me hope that, while the market culture may be struggling in Ireland, it’s alive and has an excellent chance of survival.
Irish whisky is an experience to be savored as the wee bit of fire rolls down your gullet warming your belly and then your nose as you exhale. Good memories.
I walked into a 
hand-made breads, pastries, and baked goods. Next is fresh produce, ready-made foods to take home or eat in the restaurant cafe, fresh meats, and seafood. Dry goods, paper goods, dairy, frozen foods, and a liquor store round out the products.
prices are fair, and the employees are friendly and helpful. SuperValu provides a needed, “locally” owned one-stop grocery option and seems to get along with the small, specialty food shop owners in the neighborhood. I wanted to put everything in my basket but, following my mantra of “get what I can’t get at home” settled on a custard tart, a beef and potato pie, a can of grilled steak flavored Pringles (we so need these in the US), and a bag 
of toffees. Bonus score was a red and brown burlap shopping bag with the store logo on the front. Larger groceries like this are needed to support communities financially and to give shoppers the option of purchasing everything they need in one stop. Mind, this is not a mega store, shoppers won’t find clothing, auto parts, or hardware here.
Kinsale, County Cork on Pearse Street not far from the marina. 
I gave her my card with this website address, told her about my graduate study, and promised not to post anything on Facebook, but still she said no. Mores the pity, she was delightfully opinionated. We talked for about thirty minutes about markets and the changes that have come, forcing many small grocers out of business.
and a large SuperValu at the far end of the shopping district. They all seem to work well together to provide service to customers. Nora said every town
needs options and SuperValu is apparently willing to work alongside smaller vendors rather than try to drive them out of business. I enjoyed my time talking with Nora, another city center vendor with experience and knowledge caring for her customers. My take away from this is that communities who partner with businesses for common goals create more success and happier citizens. I do wonder sometimes why this is such a difficult concept for urban planners to master.
I was so excited planning my time in Ireland. For a market junkie/foodie like me, the opportunity to study market culture in a foreign country was like winning the lottery. I had made some assumptions from my research last spring about what I would find. I thought there would be open air markets around every corner laden with beautiful produce and open seven days a week. That’s not quite what I found but I thought food shopping in Ireland was pretty amazing.
in the 
I was a bit of a mystery to the vendors, though, this odd American with a Mickey Mouse backpack taking pictures and asking dozens of questions. I bought a chunk of cheese to eat for lunch, a colorful wooden puzzle for my grandson, and a beautiful photograph of Crough Patrick. I struck up a conversation 
with 
Shopping may take a bit longer, moving from shop to shop but imagine having the shop keepers know you by name and supporting local business owners. Michael told me the shopping areas were growing smaller and many vendors were struggling to compete with big box stores like 
It was sad for me to think I had found the town squares in Ireland to be alive and well only to learn that they are waning. I told Michael about Findlay Market in Cincinnati and other similar city revitalization efforts across the US. Hopefully, people like Michael, and the other country market vendors across Ireland, can band together to slow Lidl’s progress. My concern is the people who live in these towns won’t realize what they have until it’s gone.
burrito from 
There’s nothing wrong with Chelsea, it’s really great to see the transformation but it’s a sharp contrast to the Greenmarkets. I’d give this one a 4/10 for the overly-hip, too clean, pretend market feeling. I’m glad I got to visit but I wouldn’t seek it out on another trip.
It was a long trip through the city and across the Manhattan Bridge to Brooklyn and the 
The walk to 
record albums. There are quite a few stalls with handmade jewelry, scarves, and art but I thought it was leaning to the expensive side. Again, fun, but not a market to me. They did, however, have an amazing array of local food producers. This is one of New York’s largest markets and is open on Saturdays only. It’s obviously a community anchor with hundreds of people shopping and plenty of families sitting on the school steps and the curb of the sidewalk eating lunch. I give it a 4/10 because there was no shade, tables, or places to take a rest. It’s definitely a flea market but bargains are hard to find. Like Chelsea, I’m glad for the experience but wouldn’t make a return visit.
conditioned bus, we stopped at 
These young women have mad sales skills. I had been searching for days for just the right thing to take home to my daughters and I paused at their stall. They had handbags with dinosaurs closures and sunglasses decorated with repurposed costume jewelry. The next thing I knew, I had swiped my card to pay for four pair of the best sunglasses ever. The good news is, if my girls don’t like them, I have four new pair of sunnys. Check them out at vendor fairs around NYC and on 
Lexington Avenue entrance in between the Lexington and Graybar Passages in Grand Central Station. This market is open seven days a week and covers commuters coming home from work on weekdays, staying open until 9:00pm. It’s a small shop, just a single row with vendors on either side but offers a wide variety of fresh fish, meats, cheeses, baked goods, produce, spices, and sweets. I felt like I had come to a great playground with so many interesting things to touch and consider for purchase. Several vendors have some convenience food, too, ready to take home and finish. This is definitely a high-end market but feels more homey than Chelsea.
The 
Gigi-a-Gogo 