Galway Shopping

A good selection of Claddagh Rings

What to buy: The Claddagh Ring is a typical souvenir from Galway. It comes in a gold or silver band made of two hands clasping a crowned heart and symbolizes friendship, fidelity, and love. The ring is often used as a wedding ring in Galway.

In the Galway city centre, there is a large pedestrian zone where motor vehicle traffic is restricted. This pedestrian zone includes William Street, Shop Street, High Street, Mainguard Street and Quay Street. There are a wide variety of stores, restaurants, and pubs in this area -- and the atmosphere is also great for people-watching.

This excellent book shop is a rather odd mixture of remaindered stock and secondhand material.

Unlike most other shops that sell remaindered stock the quality of stuff here is very high as it is weighted towards serious and academic books. Many are American in origin and thus will not turn up very often in other bookshops.

It is especially good for books on Iralnd arts, culture and history.

I always seem to spend a couple of hours in this place every time I visit.

What to buy: Over 40,000 books in the store - there must be something for you.

What to pay: Keenly priced. I recently bought a Hardback copy of MrCarthy's journey for 8 euro when the cover price was 24 pounds sterling !

It would be all to easy to make a whole string of unsubtle comments about the availability of tarts in Galway, wouldn't it ?

So I will resist the temptation and just point out that this little deli is an absolute wonder.

The shop is so well presented that you wonder if it is an interior design shop rather than a food shop.

Liam may not be the most of Italian names at the best of times, but his partner ‘Maria’ definitely has a more latin flavour to it. Together they have taken on the franchise for an Olio and Farina shop. Located in Upper Abbeygate street the shop blends in perfectly with the upmarket bohemian and boutiquey feel of the area.

They sell a range of upmarket foodstuffs from Italy from olive oils to whole hams, pastas, cheeses, olives and the like. They also have an excellent selection of Italian wine. Prices are obviously higher than the local supermarket (and in Ireland you often need a second mortgage for the weekly Tesco shop), but for a few specialist items or a touch of luxury on your plate then these are the guys. Snob value ? Certainly.

The very well displayed shop also features a café at the rear which I have yet to try, but with ingredients that good it would be difficult to make a pig’s ear of it.

The world famous designer Philip Treacy hails from this neck of the woods.

He is most famous for some of his totally 'mad' hats that adorn catwalks and society functions everywhere.

I am surprised that he hasn't opened a shop in the town, but some of his more toned-down creations can be found in places like the Galway hat-shop that lies on the lowest floor of the Eyre Square shopping centre.

What to buy: er...a hat

What to pay: too much

The Galway bead shop has a vast array of boxes, from which you construct your own individual piece of jewellery. It is quite a clever idea, and people seem to enjoy the 'personal' and individual result.

The staff will also make up necklaces and the like that look good for you, if you give them an outline.

The only real downside to the business would appear to be if someone breaks in and scatters all the beads to the four courners of the shop. It would take years to put them all back in the right place again.

What to buy: A basic necklace will set you back less that 10 euro

Last stop of my day trip to Kylemore abbey, Connemara and Leenane was here on Standun located 10 miles west of Galway city on the coast road to Connemara. You will find top quality Irish fashion & knitwear, crystal, china, jewellery and crafts. They have built their reputation on stocking a collection of the finest Ireland has to offer. And after shopping you can have a cold o hot drink on the coffee shop located on the back of the shop and you can enjoy with the view of the Galway bay.

What to buy: Aran Knitwear.
Crystal.
China.
Fashion.
Jellewery.

What to pay: By cash, by debit and credit card