Earlier in the year, there was much kerfuffle on one of the back lanes near Christchurch. The word was that Mother Redcaps Market - which is located at the official and original address of Back Lane - was to close down. Although the indoor market can facilitate 90 stalls, occupancy had fallen to just 30-odd, with opening times of 10 a.m. to 5.30 p.m., Friday to Sunday.

Those remaining stall-holders were subsequently given notice to vacate. Dublin has already lost so many of its markets and secondhand shops that the future didn't look promising for Mother Redcaps. However, it's not gone, but is entering a new phase in its history.

"We were given notice in May, and it turned out to be a wake-up call for all of us," explains Janet Doyle, who has an antiques and collectables stall at the market. "Basically the market wasn't viable any more as it was, with so many vacant units. That wasn't much use to either ourselves or to the owners," she agrees.

When did the fall-off in stall-holders and customers begin? "Sunday opening of shops three or four years ago definitely affected us; as soon as that happened, the market started to lose customers. Before that it used be black with people at the weekends here. But people are used to Sunday opening now, and we know we're offering something different to the shops, so we should be capitalising on that now."

After being served notice, the stall-holders subsequently got together and drew up a survival plan to present to owners Con Smith and Vincent Farrell. "What we want to do is first fill all or most of the units, then revamp the place, and then do a big promotion," says Doyle. The current agreement with the owners is that the target is to achieve 90 per cent occupancy of the stalls by October, and to maintain occupancy thereafter at not less than 80 per cent. If this works out, the future of the market will be reviewed again in two years. However, it is a large site, and it is very close to the centre of Dublin, and to the apartment complex on Christchurch. "No, we haven't been approached by developers," insists Con Smith. "We've no plans for the place, other than to relaunch the market successfully." He maintains that, although notice was served on the stall-holders in May, no alternative plans for the site were considered by the owners at that time.

"Every major European city has an indoor market, usually more than one. Tourists always come looking for them," says Doyle enthusiastically. "It's up to us now to keep this market going and make it much better, so we attract more people."

She points out various examples of successful stall-holders who went on to sell their products to a wider consumer base, once they had tested out the product. "I've always considered Mother Redcaps as an incubation area for those trying out new businesses. There's Lime and Lemongrass, the people who make the pasta sauces; Ryefield Foods, who make Boilie Cheeses; and the Gallic Kitchen, now a catering company. They all had their first retail stalls at Mother Redcaps."

The weekly rent for a standard unit at the market is £30, with larger ones costing £60, a price which includes electricity. "There are high overheads in a shop, but here you have the chance to try something out, build up your customer base, and then move to bigger premises."

At the moment, Mother Redcaps seems a lonely place, with its aisles of empty, shuttered stalls. It definitely needs new stall-holders to sign up. In between the empty stalls are cosy, crowded cubbyholes, with an eclectic range of goods.

There are stalls offering secondhand books, records, videos, clothes, antiques, and sundry items for which the correct collective term is brica-brac. For a fiver, you could buy a terrifying gold-framed collage of pictures of Adolf Hitler. A set of six mahogany chairs is £400.

A mere three pounds apiece will get you these classic LPs. Best of the Nolan Sisters, Volume 2; Nana Mouskouri Alone; and Barbara Cartland's Album of Love Songs with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Also spotted was a ship in a bottle, leather suitcases, a tin drum, a gas mask, snakes and lizards (live) and a suit of armour.

There are also stalls such as Art of Cast selling unusual wrought-iron furniture, and the Handmade Woodcraft Stall selling funky chunky wardrobes and chests of drawers. Doyle is hoping to establish contact with the various art and design colleges, and encourage art and fashion students to take stalls to sell paintings, clothing, and crafts. She also hopes that each of the colleges will use the market as exhibition space.

So, if you want to keep Mother Redcaps open, mosey up there and investigate. And if you're caught short while you're there, fear not. Mother Redcaps has the welcome bonus of hosting what must rank among the cleanest public toilets in Dublin.

There will be two open mornings this weekend at Mother Redcaps for potential stall-holders. Saturday at 11.30 a.m. is for those interested in taking a stall of any kind; Sunday at 11.30 a.m. is for those whose particular interest is in selling organic products. For more details, phone Janet Doyle at 01-8439144