Shopping

In recent years, Dublin has surprised everyone by becoming a good shopping town. You'll find few bargains, but for your money you will get excellent craftsmanship in the form of hand-woven wool blankets and clothes in a vivid array of colors, Belleek china and Waterford crystal, and chic clothes from the seemingly limitless line of Dublin designers.

While the hub of mainstream shopping south of the Liffey is Grafton Street, crowned by the city's most fashionable department store, Brown Thomas (known as BT), and the jeweler Weirs, there's much better shopping on the smaller streets radiating out from Grafton, like Duke, Dawson, Nassau, and Wicklow. On these streets proliferate the smaller, interesting shops that specialize in books, handicrafts, jewelry, gifts, and clothing. For clothes, look out for tiny Cow Lane, off Lord Edward Street -- it is popular with those in the know for its excellent clothing boutiques selling the works of local designers. Also in Grafton's penumbra are William Street South, Castle Market, and Drury Street, all of which have smart boutiques and irresistible tiny shops. On William Street South, look out for the Powerscourt Townhouse Centre, a small, elegant shopping center in a grand Georgian town house. It's got relaxing cafes, antiques shops, shoe shops, and the top-floor Design Centre, which sells works by some of Ireland's top designers. Not far away, the George's Street Arcade is a marvelous clutter of bohemian jewelry, used books, and vintage clothes.

Generally, Dublin shops are open from 9am to 6pm Monday to Saturday, and Thursday until 9pm. Many of the larger shops have Sunday hours from noon to 6pm.

Major department stores include, on the Northside, Arnotts, 12 Henry St., Dublin 1 (tel. 01/805-0400), and the marvelously traditional Clerys, Lower O'Connell Street, Dublin 1 (tel. 01/878-6000); and, on the south side, Brown Thomas, 15-20 Grafton St., Dublin 2 (tel. 01/605-6666).

Dublin also has several clusters of shops in multi-story malls or ground-level arcades, ideal for indoor shopping on rainy days. On the Northside, these include the ILAC Centre, off Henry Street, Dublin 1, and the Jervis Shopping Centre, off Henry Street, Dublin 1. On the south side, there's the Royal Hibernian Way, 49-50 Dawson St., Dublin 2; St. Stephen's Green Centre, at the top of Grafton Street, Dublin 2; and the aforementioned Powerscourt Townhouse, 59 William St. South, Dublin 2.

China & Crystal

If you're specifically looking for Waterford Crystal, don't bother shopping around because it has fixed pricing. You'll find the best selections at Brown Thomas (Grafton St., Dublin 2), Weirs (Grafton St., Dublin 2), and House of Ireland (Nassau St., Dublin 2). If brand names aren't important, check out other native crystal makers, including Galway, Tipperary, Cavan, and Tyrone. Don't forget to get your cash-back forms if you want to reclaim the VAT.

Going to Market

The traditional Dublin method of buying virtually everything has always been the weekly market. There were weekly vegetable markets, bread markets, meat markets, fish markets . . . in fact, there was a time when there was almost no need to go to the store at all. Look around sleek, modern, retail-loving, credit card-wielding Dublin, and it appears that things have changed, but don't be fooled. Just underneath that facade the truth can be found -- Dubliners still love a good market. In fact, there are great markets around, if you know where to look.

There are workaday markets like the Moore Street Market, where fruit, vegetables, fish, and bread are sold every weekday from 10am to 2pm, on Moore Street on the Northside. Then there are more upscale, gourmet markets, like the Temple Bar Food Market every weekend from 10am to 5pm in Meeting House Square. This is where to go for farmhouse cheeses and fresh, homemade breads, jams, and chutneys. For books, try the Temple Bar Book Market weekends in Temple Bar Square from 11am to 4pm -- every imaginable topic is wrapped in its pages, and prices are very good.

If you're looking for antiques at reasonable prices, head south of the city center to the Blackberry Fair (42 Rathmines Rd., south of the Grand Canal). This market every weekend from 10am to 2pm gathers equal amounts of discoveries and discardables, and weeding through it all is half the fun.

Finally, if it's all about fashion for you, try the Cow's Lane Market on Cow's Lane in the Old City. Here local designers try out their work on a savvy crowd, who pack in knowing they'll get the clothes at much lower prices than in a boutique. It's held every Saturday from 10am to 4pm.