Dealer Wendy Boostra, (right), with her daughter Muireann who are launching a winter fair on December 6-7 in Birr, County Offaly.
The fairs and markets scene in Ireland is small compared to its counterpart across the Irish Sea.
However, Wendy Boostra, who is launching an antiques, vintage, art and interiors fair in County Offaly this month, is hopeful of a boost with her plans to run four fairs a year in different locations.
She says: “The reason for setting up the fair is that there is a real demand here for antiques, vintage and interior design.”
Boostra has noticed a change in the ages of people attending and dealing at fairs on the island. “We’ve done a lot of market research taking part in fairs from Belfast down to Cork and have seen an increase in a younger public attending fairs as well as dealers.
“Younger people have more of an aesthetic taste influenced by social media and are starting to appreciate the stories behind the antiques.”
Boostra, a dealer in high end vintage jewellery, lives in County Louth on the border of Northern Ireland and is organising the 30-dealer winter fair with daughter Muireann on Wednesday and Thursday, December 6-7, at the County Arms Hotel in Birr, a historic Irish town.
Dealers standing here are from across the island including Comber, a town near Belfast and Cork. There are no dealers from England, Scotland or Wales exhibiting but Boostra is most optimistic they will be over for her future fairs.
