Calls made to support Rossnowlagh Farmers Market amid marquee row
Cllr Micheál Naughton said all parties should ‘get everybody around the table’
Councillor Micheál Naughton told Donegal Live that councillors and other bodies should look into how to facilitate Rossnowlagh Farmers Market, after a planning issue regarding a current marquee provoked calls to “get everybody around the table.”
Rossnowlagh Farmers Market has been run weekly every Friday for over two years, operating in the Friary Hall during the winter months, before going to a different location for the summer.
Speaking at July’s meeting of the Donegal Municipal District, Cllr Micheál Naughton commended Faye Dinsmore, Jamie Leigh Meade, and Lisa McCorley, for their work in organising the Rossnowlagh Farmers Market.
However, the market has seen problems this summer with a required marquee, due to needing to relocate for the summer months earlier than normal, inserting concrete bases to keep a larger marquee in place, leading to a possible enforcement contention. Cllr Naughton said a smaller marquee had “blown down.”
Speaking to Donegal Live, Cllr Naughton said: “The Farmers Market were using the hall but unfortunately, the hall didn’t become available for the summer. They were talking about using a marquee for the summer.
“They got a marquee themselves but in the first two weeks, it got blown away, so they had to go heavy duty and put in concrete things to hold it down, which they went ahead and didn’t get, basically, granting from the council. They received an enforcement in relation to putting these concrete bases down.
“In fairness to the girls, the Farmers Market has been a huge success for Rossnowlagh. It is an education thing for the new people. There are three young girls who came back home with their family, and set up this in their local area.
“They have entertainment every week, allowing people to do their own music, talks on the environment and the ocean. They do a lot of stuff.
“It is a big attraction. It is more than a market. I think the community and councillors, along with the planners, should look at how to facilitate this, help them to put a marquee, or something in place going forward.
“I think if this thing is a success, we definitely need to look at something permanent for them.
“They met with us councillors in relation to doing a marquee for summer, but the first marquee put up was no strong enough unfortunately, and that got blown down.”
When asked what should be done to resolve the issue, Cllr Naughton replied: “Everything can be solved. These are three young people who have moved back with their families to Rossnowlagh to make a better place for their kids and the community.
“There is a need for this in Rossnowlagh. For the betterment of Rossnlowlagh, it is very important we get everybody around the table and look at what we can do for Rossnowlagh.
“We all want to see Rossnowlagh thrive. We all want to see everybody enjoying comfort where they live, and if there is a need for a Farmer’s Market, well, let’s work with the people who put it there.
“Let’s look at the bigger picture. It is no good for one group to go against the other to keep a group down. Nobody benefits from that. As the saying goes, a rise in the tide lifts all ships.
If everyone works together, Rossnowlagh can be a far better place for everybody involved.”