- Every Tuesday and Friday
- 8am–4pm
- Shambles Yard
- Pitch from £13.50
- Saturday car boots
Armagh's market is on every Tuesday and Friday, 8am to 4pm, in the Shambles Yard on Cathedral Road, between the two cathedrals. On some Saturday mornings the same yard holds the council car boot sale.
Selling in Armagh
- Who to askABC Council Town Centre team, 0300 0300 900
- HowMarket traders expression of interest form, then a call from the team
- CostFrom £13.50 a day outdoors; £15 indoors
- You need£5 million public liability insurance and two passport photos
- Car bootNo booking: £6 a car, £11 a van, gates 7am
Coming up
In Armagh
- Thu19NovABC Artisan Food & Craft Market (touring)Town centres: Lurgan, Dromore, Banbridge, Portadown, ArmaghConfirmedFood & farmers
- Sun22NovArmagh City Hotel Craft FairArmagh City Hotel, Friary RoadConfirmedChristmas
- Thu26NovArmagh Georgian Festival Festive Artisan MarketMarket Street, city centre and The MallConfirmedChristmas
- Sun28MarSpring Craft & Gift Fair at Armagh City HotelArmagh City Hotel, 2 Friary RoadLikelyMakers & craft
- Sat12JunArmagh County ShowGosford Forest Park, BT60 1QPLikelyShows & exhibitions
- Sat4SepArtisan Street MarketMarket Street, ArmaghLikelyMakers & craft
And 3 more in the app.
Every week and every month
- The Shambles Variety Market, Armagh — Tuesdayevery Tuesday, 8am to 4pm · next Tue 10 Nov
- The Shambles Variety Market, Armagh — Fridayevery Friday, 8am to 4pm · next Fri 6 Nov
- Shambles Yard Car Boot Sale, Armaghabout twice a month from April to October and on the 2nd Saturday in November and December, 8am to 1pm (check the council page for exact dates) · next Sat 14 Nov
Within about 15 miles
- Sat7NovWinter Craft Fair at Millennium CourtMillennium Court Arts Centre · about 10 milesConfirmedChristmas
- Sat21NovAction Cancer Christmas Craft Fair at Brownlow HouseBrownlow House (Lurgan Castle) · about 15 milesConfirmedChristmas
- Sat21NovChristmas Fayre at Benburb PrioryBenburb Priory, 10 Main Street · about 6 milesConfirmedChristmas
- Sat21NovDungannon Craft FayreDungannon · about 11 milesConfirmedMakers & craft
Tuesday and Friday in the Shambles Yard
Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council runs the Shambles Variety Market at 2 Cathedral Road (BT61 7QX). It opens every Tuesday and Friday from 8am to 4pm, with stalls in the open yard and inside the old Johnston Building.
Look for fruit and vegetables, fresh fish, baking and traybakes, plants and flowers, clothes and household goods. Newer traders have added coffee, vintage jewellery and handmade gifts.
The Goldline 251 bus from Belfast Grand Central reaches Armagh Bus Station on Lonsdale Road in about 1 hour 15 minutes. From there the Shambles is a short walk uphill. Council car parks in the city take coins, cards or the RingGo app.
Booking a pitch at the Shambles
Fill in the council's market traders expression of interest form online, or phone the Town Centre team on 0300 0300 900. You cannot just turn up: paperwork and payment come first.
Permanent traders pay in advance and trade each week. Casual traders book week by week, but a stall is not promised. The number of traders for each kind of goods is limited, so busy kinds have a waiting list.
- Vehicle or outdoor covered pitch: £13.50 a day (£18.50 with electricity)
- Indoor pitch: £15 a day
- Marquee or stall: £25 a day
- One table given if needed; you set up your own stall
- £5 million public liability insurance and two colour passport photos
- Photos of your goods, plus a food hygiene certificate for food
Saturday car boots in the Shambles Yard
From April to October the council car boot sale runs on about two Saturdays a month, then usually one Saturday in November and December. Buyers get in from 8am to 1pm, and not before 8am. The council posts each year's dates online.
Sellers do not book. Gates open at 7am, first come first served: £6 for a car, £11 for a van or a car with a trailer. Vans towing trailers are not allowed, and gazebos and tables are not allowed either.
On sale days the yard is for sellers only. Buyers park in other car parks, and two Blue Badge bays are kept for shoppers once traders are in place.
Market Street stalls for cider in September and Georgian Christmas in November
On the Saturday of the Armagh Food and Cider Weekend in early September, an Artisan Street Market fills Market Street from noon to 5pm. Cider in the City follows that evening in the Shambles Yard.
Over the last weekend of November, the Georgian Festival brings more than 100 artisan stalls to Market Street and The Mall, with the biggest market on the Saturday. It has its own guide on this site.
The Armagh City Hotel on Friary Road has held spring, summer and Christmas craft fairs in recent years, usually on a Sunday. Check its social pages for the next one.
From linen hall to cattle yard: how the Shambles began
In 1827 the Armagh-born architect Francis Johnston designed the market yard on Cathedral Road, with its clock tower, for selling corn, hay, animals and pork. It was a cattle market until the 1970s and became the variety market in 1990.
The 1815 Market House at the foot of Market Street, with its arches at street level, is now the city library.
Richhill apples, Portadown and The Argory: nearby market days
- Richhill, 10 minutes east: Apple Harvest Fayre on The Square, a Saturday in late October
- Gosford Forest Park, 15 minutes south-east: Armagh County Show with trade stands, mid-June
- Portadown, about 20 minutes: council market, Friday and Saturday, 7am–3pm, Magowan West car park
- The Argory near Moy, about 20 minutes: courtyard Christmas Fair, early December weekend
- Banbridge, about 35 minutes: council market, Friday and Saturday, Solitude Park
Who to ask for a pitch
- Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council - Town Centre and Markets teamPermanent and casual pitches at the Shambles Variety Market (Tuesday and Friday) and the Shambles Yard car boot sale.website · 0300 0300 900
- Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council - Environmental Health (street trading)Temporary, mobile and stationary street trading licences.email · 0330 0561 011
- Food Heartland (council food and drink network)The council's food and drink network for borough producers; ask about places at council food stands.website · 0300 0300 900
- Armagh County Agricultural ShowTrade stands at the County Show at Gosford Forest Park, applied for online through the show website.website · email
Where markets happen in Armagh
- The Shambles Yard and Johnston BuildingThe council's Shambles Variety Market on Tuesday and Friday, the Saturday car boot sale, Cider in the City and the Halloween artisan market.2 Cathedral Road, Armagh, BT61 7QX
- Market Street and The MallThe Food and Cider Weekend's Artisan Street Market in September and the Georgian Festival's Festive Artisan Market in late November.Armagh city centre
- Market Place Theatre and Arts CentreHas hosted the Armagh Craft Fair on a Saturday in late May in recent years.Market Street, Armagh
- Armagh City HotelSpring, summer and Christmas craft and gift fairs, usually on a Sunday.2 Friary Road, Armagh, BT60 4FR
- Gosford Forest ParkThe Armagh County Agricultural Show in mid-June, with trade stands and a food and shopping area.Near Markethill, BT60 1QP
- Richhill village square and castle groundsThe Richhill Apple Harvest Fayre in late October.The Square, Richhill
- First Armagh Presbyterian Church hallsA craft fair and big breakfast morning on a Saturday in late September.College Street, Armagh
Questions about markets in Armagh
What day is Armagh market?
Armagh market is every Tuesday and Friday, 8am to 4pm, in the Shambles Yard on Cathedral Road. Stalls sell fruit and vegetables, fish, baking, plants, clothes and household goods.
When is the Armagh car boot sale?
The Shambles Yard car boot sale runs on Saturday mornings, 8am to 1pm, about twice a month from April to October and usually once in November and December. The live list on this page shows the next dates.
How much is a stall at the Shambles Market in Armagh?
The council's trader pack lists £13.50 a day for a vehicle or outdoor covered pitch, £18.50 with electricity, £15 indoors and £25 for a marquee or stall. Phone 0300 0300 900 to apply.
Do I need to book to sell at Armagh car boot?
No. Spaces are first come, first served from 7am. A car costs £6 and a van or car with a trailer £11. Vans towing trailers are not allowed.
Is there a Christmas market in Armagh?
Yes. The Georgian Festival over the last weekend of November brings more than 100 stalls to Market Street and The Mall. The Argory near Moy holds a Christmas Fair in its courtyard on an early December weekend.
When is the Richhill Apple Fair?
The Richhill Apple Harvest Fayre is on a Saturday in late October, on The Square in Richhill, about 10 minutes from Armagh, with food, craft and cider stalls.