10 Best Markets in Dublin

George's Street Arcade is an enclosed Victorian market offering a charming red-brick interior filled with more than 50 vendors selling anything you can imagine. In one stand, you'll find fresh-made falafel. Right next to that, you'll find vintage paintings or new paintings by an up-and-coming artist. Across the aisle, you might find movie memorabilia and action figures. Down the way, you can find a vendor offering tarot readings and one selling collectible coins. Looking to grab a bite or take a break? The juice stand and coffeehouse area are just what you want.

If there's one word that defines George's, it's "eclectic." It's also in the city centre, a 15-minute walk south of the geographic centre of town.

The Temple Bar Food Market offers a vibrant, colourful and deliciously scented array of seasonal fruits, veggies, baked goods, artisanal food products and friendly advice. The vendors here are eager to give you their expert ideas on how to use their wares in your home cooking. They can offer tips on preparing and cooking family recipes that might go back for generations. You can also find olives, homemade hummus, artisanal cheese, pesto, sauces, spices and dressings here. Even better, a lot of the vendors are happy to offer samples before you buy.

During rainy days, the market is temporarily covered; otherwise, it's open-air. It can be found a mere 10-minute walk across the river from the city centre.

The Red Stables Market at St. Anne's Park is a covered market in a 2-storey Victorian building that offers handmade crafts, fresh produce and even an art gallery. Here you can find unique items like hand-painted guitars as well as paintings, sculptures and wall art. You can head here for lunch, too, and get a delightful selection of dishes ranging from noodles to homemade crepes to tacos and dessert foods like cakes, biscuits and handmade chocolate.

This market is open year-round but really comes to life at Christmas when you'll find ornaments and decorations, and it's brilliantly lit for the holidays. It's a 25-minute drive east of the city centre.

The Urban Market at St. Catherine's Park goes on every Sunday and offers fresh and prepared foods as well as a nearby playground and hiking trails in a nature park. The park itself covers 200 acres of land with walking trails to escape from the hustle and bustle. Then, you can browse the stalls to find freshly made snacks and refreshments from artisanal foods to sweet treats, hot food and coffee to ice cream. You can also find a wide range of arts, crafts, housewares and bric-a-brac to take home with you.

A local bottle-filling station ensures you stay hydrated. This is something of an overlooked gem of Dublin. It's about a 40-minute drive west of the city centre.

The Farmleigh Food Markets is situated on a scenic farmyard beside a park and offers a traditional outdoor marketplace vibe with tons of goods available from food to crafts. This is one of those markets you come to as much for the atmosphere and people as you do for the great deals. You'll be able to find such products as award-winning cheese, farm-fresh veggies and fresh-made treats. You'll also, however, be able to attend events like seminars on beekeeping, photography exhibitions and art shows.

The dates of operation vary throughout the summer, so check the schedule before attending. Also, be sure to bring cash—there's no ATM and some vendors don't take cards. It's 23 minutes west of Dublin.

Airfield Estate's Farmers Market is held every weekend in a car park offering dozens of stalls whose vendors sell largely fresh foods, almost all of which are sustainable and organic. This farmer's market sells everything from meats and cheeses to sustainably sourced seafood, ethically sourced fresh milk, organic granola, farm-fresh eggs, artisanal breads, hand-churned butter, olives, juices, homemade preserves, jellies and jams, pastries and even chutney. The strong focus on sustainable and organic farming and gathering is what sets this market apart from many others in the area. It's also got a unique and fun vibe.

People who care about the environment flock here regularly. It's about 35 minutes south of the Dublin city centre.

The Marlay Park Market is located on a 247-acre nature park with fantastic vendors selling unique items with a global feel that you won't find at other local markets. Here you can find freshly prepared Moroccan food and the ingredients to make it yourself. You can head for the Handmade for U booth where you'll get gorgeous artisan-made arts and crafts. You can find literary treasures hidden among the books at the Village Bookshop stand. If the weather's hot, you'll want to head for the ice cream stand and enjoy hand-rolled ice cream.

This market goes on every weekend, and if you want the best deals, get there early. It's held about 35 minutes south of Dublin city centre.

The Dun Laoghaire Sunday Market, also known as the People's Park Market, is a local staple, offering harbourfront views, fresh foods and international options. Besides farm-to-table fruits and veggies, artisanal breads, meats, cheeses and the like, you can find international stalls with goods like falafel, Korean noodles, wines, Italian sausages and other interesting offerings. You'll also find a range of local arts and crafts like wall art and jewellery to make for a memorable souvenir. This historic market opened in 1890 and also offers astonishing Victorian architecture with original tea rooms and a gate lodge.

The Dun Laoghaire People's Park Market is among the most popular Dublin markets. It's held about 45 minutes south of the city centre.

The Howth Market offers more than 25 vendor stalls conveniently located for browsing on any sunny day just steps from local piers and cliff walks. The market is open all week, but during weekdays only 5 fronts are available. It really comes to life on weekends. It sells a wide variety of wares, from artisan-crafted woodwork, leatherworking, antique jewellery, handmade and vintage fashions and others. In addition, you can find delicious foods like fresh-baked bread (the scent is free) or fresh, genuine, homemade Italian gelato.

This is a great place to come to browse before catching photos of the ocean or cliffside views of the surrounding region. It's about a 30-minute drive east from Dublin.

The Liberty Market, 12 minutes south of Dublin's city centre, dates to 1973 and offers everything from handmade jewellery to quirky t-shirts, shoes, vintage fashions, accessories and secondhand goods. It's a vibrant and classic Irish marketplace where people buy, sell and trade just about everything you can imagine. The atmosphere is welcoming and authentic, and it's bustling all day long, all year long. If you're looking for great bargains on unusual items, you might just find a hidden treasure here, whether it's a vintage vinyl, collectible book or a toy that hearkens back to your childhood memories.

Ten minutes browsing here and you'll understand why it's billed as "Dublin's Famous Liberty Market," and you're not likely to forget the experience.