21-07-2025
Confused shopper tries to enter Lidl on Fair City set
In a case of life imitating art a little too closely, a woman was spotted outside RTÉ Studios this week trying to do her grocery shopping in a rather unusual location – the Lidl on the set of Fair City.
David Murphy, RTÉ's Economics & Public Affairs Editor, shared the moment on social media Monday evening, tweeting:
'Met a lady outside RTÉ trying to get in to do her shopping in the Lidl on the Fair City set this evening. It's listed on Google Maps. I gave her directions to Tesco.' Pic: RTE
The confusion stems from a realistic-looking Lidl store that now features as part of the fictional town of Carrigstown, built on RTÉ's Donnybrook campus. The store is not open to the public, but its presence online, including on Google Maps, has apparently led at least one person to believe otherwise.
The Lidl store is the result of a major three-year product placement deal signed earlier this year between the supermarket chain and RTÉ. It marks the largest broadcast product placement agreement in Irish television history, according to RTÉ Commercial Director Gavin Deans.
Construction of the faux supermarket began in March. The collaboration between RTÉ and Lidl includes realistic store features like a Deposit Return Machine, in-store bakery, and even a modern staff welfare area. A fictional store manager, Renee, will be introduced as part of upcoming plotlines. Pic: RTE
Characters in Fair City will interact with the store as part of their daily lives in Carrigstown – and, evidently, some viewers are already mistaking it for a place to pick up their weekly shop.
Fair City, which debuted in 1989, draws over 600,000 weekly viewers on RTÉ One, with a further 100,000 streaming the show each week via RTÉ Player.
