Friends revive village market after West Mayo country market closure

Every second Friday, the community hall in Aughagower fills with the usual market-day sights: fresh vegetables, trays of home baking, jars of jam and tables of handmade jewelry. There is also the hum of neighbours stopping for a chat over tea and coffee.

The Aughagower Country Market has been running since last May. When Westport Country Market closed its doors after 39 years, many of its loyal stallholders and customers were left without a gathering place. In Aughagower, three friends decided it was time to act.

An idea years in the making

Marlene Foy and Ann Nolan, who were both long associated with the much missed Westport market, had talked about starting a market in their own village for years.

“We’ve been on about it even since before Covid, about having our own market,” Marlene says. “But obviously it was always the Westport one. When Westport closed, we were kind of like, well, maybe we could give it a go, this might be the right time.”

Ann brings a lifetime of food experience to the venture. She ran a bakery and a restaurant on High Street and Market Lane in Westport for 18 years before retiring, and later spent 20 years at the Westport country market. Alongside friends Kitty and Marlene Foy, she now helps run a market of ten stalls, with more planned.

The women already had a track record of bringing people together. They run a weekly bingo night next door to the market venue and a monthly social dance. “We run bingo every week here, just next door. We had it last night, and we run a social dance once a month,” Ann says. The success of those events convinced them the community was ready for more.

Wide range of produce

The range is wide and entirely local. Every producer comes from the Westport and Aughagower areas. Shoppers can find fresh vegetables, free-range eggs, chocolate, jams, health bread and home baking. There are crafts too, from jewelry to woodwork, and gifts.

Right now the market is in pumpkin season. Clew Bay Farm’s homegrown pumpkins will be at this Friday’s market by order only, at €2 for small, €3 for medium and €5 for large. Orders can be made by messaging 086 0777467 or 086 8377538, with a final deadline of 6pm on Thursday evening, October 22nd.

Ann is also taking orders for Christmas baking. If you can’t make it to a market day, she’ll arrange a collection outside market hours.

Social event

It is a social event as much as a place to shop.

Then there’s the parking. Marlene is emphatic about it: “We’ve free parking, that’s very important, very important. There’s no traffic warden, nobody will clamp your hair, there’s no problem with that, all are welcome.” The playschool next door means there’s always a bustle of comings and goings, and teas and coffees are on offer inside.

For those who knew the Westport market, the welcome was especially warm. Anne Duffy, who has been involved with country markets for years, says she was delighted to see the new venture. “It was a big shock when it closed, so it’s lovely to have something,” she says. “I think it’s terrific here, and I think it’s a testament to the Aughagower community’s resilience.”

Looking ahead

The next market is this Friday, October 23, from 10:30am to 2pm. After that, the dates before Christmas are November 6 and 20, and December 4 and 18. Only five markets remain in 2026, a fact the organisers say they can hardly believe.

“We would like to thank all the support we have received since we started last May,” the organisers say.