A hardcore posse of Moore Street mammies have vowed they’ll be the last traders standing in the capital - and do Mrs Brown proud.
As the domino effect saw more and more stores along nearby Henry Street shut up shop and the capital’s usually bustling shopping thoroughfare inched towards total lockdown, Moore Street’s famous market traders ploughed on and pledged to keep feeding Dubliners their five-a-day.
“‘We’ve been here when the snow has been up over our knees and icicles on our noses - we get up and do what we have to do and as long as there’s a few people about, we’ll be here,” said Caroline Alrright, a grandmother-of-three, who opened at 11am yesterday instead of her usual 9am after a few glasses of wine Thursday night.
“It was all about the coronavirus on TV so that had me drinking more,” laughed Caroline, a fourth generation trader on the famous cobblestoned street.
Moore Street’s tough and ballsy market traders inspired Agnes Brown in Brendan O’Carroll’s Mrs Brown's Boys - and they’re certainly living up to their gritty reputation as the Covid-19 emergency escalates.
“We’re hardcore, we’re not nervous,” continued Caroline, 58, as she piled her stall with gigantic strawberries, Pink Lady apples, peppers, mandarins and bananas.
“We’re wearing gloves and changing them every few minutes and washing.
"We’re keeping our distance and doing all the right things.
“There’s 17 of us still trading. We have to pay the bills.”
A few stalls down is Marie Cullen, another fourth generation fruit and veg seller.
“We’re hanging in by the skin of our teeth - we’re playing it day by day,” said Marie, who wore a protective mask and gloves and asked customers to keep their distance.
“I’m very nervous but this is our way of life. There’s work in us. We have to get up and get out working.
"We’re using sanitisers, keeping clear from people but we’re here to serve.
"We have to get on with life, not just for our mental health and we’ll get through this if we keep protecting ourselves.”
Like Caroline, she has no idea how long she’ll be here.
Flower-seller Mary Leech, 69, sold the last of her stock on Thursday evening just as wig shop Hairspray across from her announced it was shutting shop for three months.
Mary said: “I was so quiet I’d have had a few sweaters knitted.”
Marie said: “We may get a few more days out of it.
"We’ll be here until it dries up or told to leave and there’s a curfew. We’ve never seen anything like this before.
"None of us remember a time when the traders didn’t come out. It really is very scary.”
Caroline - who grew up working on her mother Angela and her Nan Chick’s stalls - agreed and said she’s never known anything like the chilling Covid effect.
“Our great granny and grandad was here through the Rising and our mammy and Nana Chick had to run out of the street with the Dublin bombings in 1974, they walked home to O’Devaney Gardens in a terrible panic but the next morning they got up and went back out to work.
"Nothing keeps us away - but we’ve never seen anything like this. If it goes on we’ll have nobody to sell to.”
So far, the fruit and veg supply chain hasn’t been affected - and there are some great bargains to be had.
“We’re getting good prices at the market for keeping them going and we can sell it on to the public cheap.
“Our strawberries are €2.49 in Lidl and €1 here, same as the grapes.
"We’ll keep going but if the market doesn’t have the stuff to deliver to us, we’ll have to stop. Everyone is just taking it day by day but for now we’re not short of anything.”
Retired Don Doyle is here with his wife to do their weekly shop.
“Fair play to the girls for keeping coming out. You would go mad listening to the panic on the radio and Leo coming on telling everyone he’s a hero. "Go away. These are down here generations.”
"Don’t be getting sick standing in supermarket queues - the food here is quality.”
Caroline said she feels much more protected working outdoors than cooped up in an office.
“Aren’t you better buying here in the open air than standing in a packed supermarket queue as you’re not so on top of each other?
"They’re only starting the social distancing in places now but we’re doing it all week
"The foreigners especially love shopping in markets as they’re used to that on the continent.”
Markets inspector Mark Murphy said: “They’ve a license to trade through the year so they’ll keep coming out through thick and thin.
"They’re hardy but you have to be in these times.
"Who knows - it’s the flip of a coin really on how long things will keep going. Hopefully, they won’t have to go.”
“We’re taking it one day at a time and we’ll keep going as long as we can,” added Caroline.
“We have to do what we have to do but we’ll bounce back. We’ll definitely be back - and we’ll be stronger than ever.”
