When the weather is shining this is probably one of the best locations for a farmers market. You…read morecan chill out by the canal with your food and read a book or talk to a friend or talk to yourself or a wall like Shirley Valentine but I digress. I like the dessert treats there and the chicken poulet, I think that's what it's called is divine. Always a lovely way to start the weekend with a Friday lunch treat here!

Oh my goodness this is a foodies dream! So much good food and amazing smelling things. There's…read moreenough selections to make your tummy growl in hunger and confusion ('what to eat next?!'). I ended up getting my lunch from the pulled pork stall - pork, potatoes, grilled onions, stuffing and gravy. WOW. The small size was more than enough for me. It was delicious and very filling. I also got a cupcake from one of the stalls; oreo cupcake turned out to be surprisingly yummy. You'll see me at this market every Thursday for the rest of my time in Dublin.

It's been great to see these markets grow over the years, and their Grand Canal edition is…read moreessential for any fellow desk-jockey in the vicinity. It just isn't quite Friday without a trip to the canal for some of their grub. Grand Canal has the added bonus of having loads of seating and being a really nice place to spend your lunch hour when the weather is good.

Love this place. Everything local and small producers, who come here to sell their stuff. Almost…read moreall organic and Irish. We go there every weekend for our weekly shopping :-)) small with good variety and reasonable. If organic is your thing then you will love this place.

Wholly organic market with lots of locally sourced fruits, veg, meats and dairy products. About a…read moredozen stalls, some offering organic produce, others warm food and others still fresh bread and pastries. Spoke to one of the fellas who informed me its been running for over 25 years, and was in its day the first organic market in Dublin. In terms of quality, all on offer seemed phenomenal and what I got (some veg, organic dried stuffs, coffee and a jug o' raw milk from the butcher/milkman) was, at least, impeccable. In terms of "ambiance" a guy on a stage at the back of the room was playing music (folklore?) and families and strollers and the rest of what seemed like a jovial community was circulating inbetween the stalls, snacking and browsing. Great experience and, I think, I am a jovial regular to-be.

Great little market that pops up (seasonally?) every Thursday in Merrion Square at lunchtime. There…read moreare approx. 15 different stands with a variety of different food options. I've tried two nice falafels (2 different stands and I've tried them both). I've also had the Korean food, which is tasty. Still on my list are a burger stand, a pizza stand, and a Portuguese food stand. There are also some dessert stands including a cupcake vendor, a gelato counter, and a pastry tent. Some of the stands get pretty busy so be prepared to wait if it is nice out and there is something specific you are after. The falafel stand always seems crowded and it does take a while. Also, be sure to bring some cash as I'm not sure how many of the stands take credit cards. From my observations, it seems the market closes right around 3pm.

I used to frequent the Irish Village Market at East Point when I was working there. Now, this…read morelocation is much easier and well worth the trip every week. They have some great restaurants that set up here and are in a very easy to reach location (behind the convention centre).

From the owner: Irish Village Markets work closely with a select group of street food vendors, chefs and producers…read moreall operating in pop-up environments at various high-profile locations, providing high quality international street food for all occasions.

Such a great idea - if the business people don't have time to go shopping, bring shopping to the…read morebusiness people. Genius! The CoCo Markets are held every Wednesday in the middle of the IFSC (Dublin's business district). They provide the busy finance types with the perfect opportunity to do some speedy lunchtime gift shopping or to try something a little different for lunch. Most of the stalls in this market are food-related (what a surprise - this market is a lunchtime affair) and include options such as falafel, asian noodles, curries and paellas. The queue for paella yesterday was phenomenal! Meals tend to be around the 5 euro mark, which is what you'd pay for a sambo in one of the nearby cafes anyway. This is a great idea and fingers crossed it will be really successful with the suits.

I eventually found this market a bit late in the day....it was nearly 2pm. It seems to have moved…read morefrom the initial locaion around the IFSC and is now further down Spencer's Dock. As Jo said, this is more of a foodie market. The main aim seems to be to provide lunch for the office workers nearby rather than a shopping market. If you want fresh take-away food, it's perfect. For a shopping market, you're probably better off sticking to one of the weekend ones!

The Smithfield Square is busiest on the first Sunday of the month when people come from all over…read moreIreland to trade horses and equipment. Any city slicker or foreigner would appreciate this spectacle despite it attracting a lot of rough and rowdy locals. It's interesting to watch owners ride their horses and ponies bare back and hear the cloppy-clop of the animal's hooves on the cobblestones. There are other notable activities that take place in the square year-round depending on the season. In the summer, there are themed markets that stock speciality foods and products. One time, there was a French market where vendors sold lavender soap, fresh bread and sweets. During the winter, the square puts on Dublin On Ice. This event celebrates winter by allowing Dubliners to experience the joy of skating on an ice rink.

Disclaimer: I've had several negative experiences with horses. Including being thrown off one when…read moreI was two and being assigned a horse named Ruff when I was 20 and decided to give it a second chance. Let's just say he lived up to his name and also enjoyed biting other horses' bums. That said when I first moved to Smithfield a few years ago I was so not thrilled to hear that there was a monthly horse fair. I awoke one morning to the sound of hoofs, at first I thought it was just a disturbing nightmare, but when I went out on my balcony I saw two boys riding what can only be described as ponies down North King Street and into the square. The horse fair is definitely something you should check out once, but I can't suggest it as a regular event. For me the experience was all together and unpleasant and I normally hid in my apartment all day until it was over. The smell of manure and hay was enough to turn my stomach. However, that wasn't really the worst part. Despite my earlier disclaimer that I don't like horses, I actually for the first time in my life, felt bad for the horses. Some of the horses were well kept and nicely treated, but for the most part the ponies were being hit by groups of small boys with riding crops, and not in the manner they should be used. Like I said if you're interested horses or just some local culture it's definitely worth a look, but don't go expecting anything too exciting.