Doolin Shopping

"A Memory of Ireland" is my favorite music-casette of Irish Folk Music and I found it at the cliffs of Moher. The singer of this cassette is Tina Mulrooney and I saw her sitting at the cliffs playing her harp and singing with a really beautiful voice. You may buy a lot of Music-CDs and Cassettes directely at the souvenir-shop of the large parking at the Cliffs of Moher. A bit cheaper than at the main shop you may as well go to the small shop-wagon of the family Mulrooney. All of the daughters seems to have recorded CDs and most of them are really great !
In summer you may see at least one of the sisters singing high above the Cliffs, somewhere on your way to O'Connor's Tower.

What to buy: I would like to say that the general souvenir-shop at the cliffs is not a bargain - it is ment for the bustourists, who do not have a lot of possibilities to compare prices and accept the prices given.
For fans of Tina Mulrooney and her sisters the shop at the Cliffs of Moher might be one of the few places, where you get these CDs without having to order them and wait a few days to be delivered - and the prices are cheaper as well at the cliffs than in Dublin or other places...

What to pay: I do not remember the exacte prices at the Cliffs, but the casettes on my picture were less expensive than ordinary cassettes in the large shops. For shipping the cassettes to your home, prices are listed at Tina's web-page below !

1 more image

The Magnetic Music Cafe is a music store and coffee shop set up inside a thatched cottage on Doolin's Fisher Street. It was quite a stroke of luck to find such a high calibre music store in Doolin. It has quite an unusual inventory of Irish, Celtic and world music. It has listening posts so that you can hear the CD you are interested in purchasing. As well, Mary and Petr and their staff are always availble to offer excellent advice on selections. They also carry Books, Instructional Videos and DVDs.

You walk up a garden path and in through a bright red Dutch door. Their terraced garden is enough of a reasoin to go visit. Venture inside and you are guaranteed a multi-sensory pleasure. Your eyes will delight in the small tables set about with tablecloths of many fabrics and patterns, crockery vases and glass jugs on every table filled with flowers from the garden and of course all of the music and products to see. Your ears will thrill to the sounds of a different Cd played every hour. In addition, during the summer season, Mary and Petr hold a series of Concerts on the weekends. Your taste buds will delight in a good cup of coffee, hot tea or hot cocoa accompanied by fresh baked cakes, pies and scones, all served in china cups and plates, with cloth napkins.

The Cafe & Music Shop is open April through November

What to buy: Each year that I return, I stop into the Magnetic Music afe and always find a new and unique CD to carry with me on my travels. After checking into my lodgings, they are my first stop for a cup of cocoa and a generous slice of chocolate cake, accompanied by hospitable conversation from either Mary, Petr or one of the staff.

What to pay: A cup of Cocoa & a slice of cake was 6 Euros. The Cds averaged about 20 Euro

The Clare Jam company stands in an idyllic position in a clifftop position a mile or so to the south of Doolin.

The Manufacturing area is not much bigger than a good-sized garage but they make a bewildering variety of very high quality jams. The small attached shop sells them from between 2 Euro 40 a jar and 3 Euro (for the normal sized jamjar)

I especially liked the more unusual flavours such as the Orange marmalade I found with added Poitin (a legal version of Irish Potato moonshine) and spices.

They make great presents.

The Magnetic Music store is housed in the middle of Fisher street and has a wonderful cafe attached (see other tip).

If Irish music is your thing then you will certainly find what you want here. The range is massive, ranging from the ultra-traditional to groups like ‘The Dubliners’ who are known all over the world, to more modern interpretations of the music in the hands of somewhat eclectic individuals.

The shop also produces magazines, and a website, much of which is aimed at Germans, who seem to be particularly attracted to this type of music.