Ireland also has some lovely traditional
jewellery in Celtic designs such as the
famous Claddagh ring, or riveting,
trendy designerwear in silver, enamel
ƒ† ‹ŽŽ‹‘ ›‡ƒ” ‘Ž† •–‘‡•Ǥ ” Š‘™
about blackthorn walking sticks and
sculptures made of 1,000 year old
„‘‰™‘‘†ǡ ’‡–”‹ϐ‹‡† ™‘‘† •ƒŽ˜ƒ‰‡† ˆ”‘
Ireland’s unique boglands?
Food
—–Ž‡”ǯ• ƒ”‡ ˆƒ‘—• ˆƒ‹Ž› ‘™‡† ”‹•Š
chocolatiers, and kids who have ‘fed’ on
Roald Dahl’s ‘Charlie and the Chocolate
Factory’ will drool at the idea of visiting
this Chocolate Cafe at 9 Chatham St.
Dublin for hot chocolate and cake.
Irish artisan cheese has attracted the
attention of global gourmets. Don’t be
put off by the thought of something
•‡ŽŽ›ǤŠ‡”‡ ‹• ƒ ϐ‹‡ ˜ƒ”‹‡–›ǣ ‹Ž†ǡ
semi-ripe and ripe, cow’s milk and
goat’s, encrusted with herbs (or even
‡––Ž‡•Ȍǡ ƒ† ϐŽƒ˜‘—”‡†Ǥ Š‡ ”‹•Š ƒ”-
house Cheesemakers Association both
promotes this cottage industry and
ensures quality, www.irishcheese.com.
Among the private wholesalers and
retailers is Sheridans, named after the
brothers Seamus and Kevin who used to
operate from their stall at the Galway
ƒ”‡”•ǯ ƒ”‡–Ǥ ‘™ –Š‡› Šƒ˜‡ ƒ •–‘”‡
here as well as in Dublin and Waterford.
—– ‹–ǯ• —…Š ‘”‡ ˆ— ™ƒ†‡”‹‰
around the various stalls in Farmers’
ƒ”‡–• ‹ –Š‡ …‹–‹‡• ƒ† –‘™•ǡ
sampling the wares, and picking up your
small rounds of cheese and jars of fruit
’”‡•‡”˜‡ ‘” Ž‘…ƒŽ ϐŽ‘™‡” Š‘‡›Ǥ ‡
wouldn’t advise you to bring back bread,
but do buy a small loaf of the delicious
nutty, grainy and soda varieties to eat on
the spot. It’s delicious even plain.
Where To Buy
Trendy wear and ware, local and of
international brands, are to be found in
amazing shopping centres in all the
main cities of the Republic and Northern
Ireland. These themselves are architec-
tural ‘oohs’, cleverly marrying historical
remains with contemporary style such
as the one in Galway’s Eyre Square; or
they sprawl behind deceptive 19th-
…‡–—”› ˆƒ…ƒ†‡• •—…Š ƒ•
‡Žˆƒ•–ǯ•
restored Victoria Square; or they are
treasured landmarks such as Derry’s
Austins 1830, the world's oldest
‹†‡’‡†‡– †‡’ƒ”–‡– •–‘”‡Ǥ ˆˆ
Dublin’s legendary Grafton Street is the
quirky Powerscourt Centre, built crazily
in a cluster of townhouses, with every-
thing except conventional shopping.
Victoria Square is Northern Ireland’s
biggest and brightest new shopping
centre, a quaint 19th-century fountain
gracing its front door. From the viewing
gallery in its glass dome you can look
ƒ…”‘•• –Š‡
‡Žˆƒ•– ”‘‘ˆ–‘’• ƒ† –Š‡
‡Žˆƒ•– Š‡‡ŽǤ ‹…–‘”‹ƒ “—ƒ”‡ǯ• –™‘
levels are packed with shops, a cinema
and a dozen places to eat. It’s open
seven days a week, with late-night
•Š‘’’‹‰ —–‹Ž ’ǡ ‘†ƒ›• ƒ†
Tuesdays, and right until 9pm on
Wednesdays and Fridays. In Derry,
Austins department store was estab-
lished 15 years before Harrods of
‘†‘ǡ ƒ† ʹͷ ›‡ƒ”• „‡ˆ‘”‡ ƒ…›• ‘ˆ
New York. It benignly overlooks the
historic centre of the city, with
commanding views of the entire district,
Donegal and beyond. This striking
building has had a wonderful facelift
with the entire stonework cleaned and
’ƒ‹–‡†ǡ Š‡ ƒ‰‹ϐ‹…‡– •‡…‘† ϐŽ‘‘”
balconies are completely restored and
the imposing corner turret returned to
its former glory. Again as in much of
Ireland’s shopping spaces, the grand
facade gives way to a thoroughly
‘†‡” ‹–‡”‹‘” ™‹–Š ˆ‘—” ϐŽ‘‘”• ‘ˆ
department store retailing. Shopping in
Dublin focuses on the two main pedes-
trianised shopping streets of Grafton
Street on the southside and Henry Street
on the northside and their surrounding
streets. The two streets are on either
side of the Liffey river, a few minutes
™ƒŽ ƒ’ƒ”–ǡ „—– ƒ”‡ “—‹–‡ †‹ˆˆ‡”‡–Ǥ
the Southside, Grafton Street, located
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