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Me Auld Flower food and drink festival for former fruit and veg market in Dublin

Team behind the Big Grill, will bring four day event to former Dublin City Fruit, Vegetable and Flower Market

The former Dublin City Fruit, Vegetable and Flower market will host a four-day food and drink festival as part of the St Patrick's Day celebrations.

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Marie Claire Digby
Fri Feb 3 2023 - 13:41

A new four-day festival, with an emphasis on Irish food, drink and culture, will be staged at the former Dublin City Fruit, Vegetable and Flower Market in Dublin 7 on March 16th-19th, in association with the St Patrick’s Festival. It is being run by Andy Noonan and the team behind the Big Grill Festival, which takes place in Herbert Park, in Dublin 4, in August.

Speaking at the launch of the event, Noonan, who is festival director, said: “We are honoured to host this first-of-its-kind-event in one of Dublin’s most-loved buildings. To bring this festival to life has been years in the making. I’ve always wanted to host an event in the market, highlighting the best in Irish food and drink. Me Auld Flower will bring this all to life under one roof.”

St Patrick’s Festival chief executive Richard Tierney said: “There is so much vibrancy within our Irish food culture right now – our producers, our chefs, our food entrepreneurs indoors and out – it’s something that we can be very proud of, and something that can stand shoulder to shoulder with anything on the international scene. It’s going to be a fantastic addition to the Festival.”

The interior of the former fruit, veg and flower market.

As well as food and drink stalls, the festival will have a programme of events including demonstrations, classes, tastings and workshops, on the Bastecamp and Brewcamp stages, as well as music from live acts and DJs.

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There will be six ticketed sessions, with admission prices ranging from €22-€26 for adults, and teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17. Children aged 3-12 years will be admitted for €5. The evening sessions on March 16th, 17th and 18th are for over 18s only. Tickets are now on sale at meauldflower.com.

The market ceased operating in 2019, and the Victorian building which dates from 1892 has remained idle since then. Dublin City Council granted planning permission for the redevelopment of the site in 2015, and last year said that it could be 2025 before construction begins.