A Traveler’s Guide to Christmas Shopping in Dublin
It’s really hard to get in the mood for Christmas when you live in Florida. A transplanted Yankee, I grew up hiking through the snowy woods with my dad and brother to cut down our tree and mistletoe. Christmas meant a crackling fire, and the intermingled scent of pine boughs and sugar cookies. In Florida, Christmas is 75 degrees and sunny, with the intermingled scents of saltwater and suntan oil. It just doesn’t work for me.
Likewise, Christmas shopping has become a mind-numbing chore of visiting mall after mall searching for special and unique gifts for friends and family, only to end up with sore feet and sensory overload .
So a few years ago, I started a new holiday tradition of my own. Taking advantage of off-peak season travel packages, I decided to do my holiday shopping in a different country every year, and give myself the gift of a wonderful vacation at the same time.
CHRISTMAS IN DUBLIN
The lighted garlands crisscrossing over the street swayed in the wintery breeze, while a group of young school boys dressed in Santa costumes sang “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”. Throngs of shoppers jockeyed for position to look at holiday window displays and the wares of the many sidewalk vendors. Christmas season was definitely in full swing on Dublin’s Grafton Street, a pedestrian-only shopping paradise.
Feeling a bit like the transplanted Dorothy (not in Kansas anymore), I had left the U.S. only hours before and landed in a bustling, holiday wonderland. After a quick shower and a full Irish breakfast at the hotel, my friend and I bundled up in coat, hat and gloves, and walked from the Hilton down a lovely street of Georgian town homes, past St. Stephens Green and the luxurious, festively decorated Shelbourne Hotel built in 1867. Cutting through the Green, we exited at the head of Grafton Street and dived into the shopping-bag laden crowd.
Even though it was a weekday, the streets were packed. Buskers (street musicians) had staked out every corner, playing traditional Irish music as well as holiday tunes. In addition to high- end department stores like Brown Thomas and trendy boutiques like the French Connection, Grafton is home to many Irish artists and craftsmen. Side streets became mini art festivals with stalls full of paintings, watercolors, pottery , jewelry, and other handmade items.
We made our first stop at what appeared to be a tourist trap called Treasures of Ireland. Although it did have its fair share of leprechauns and shamrocks, we discovered a gift section of items bearing Irish names and family crests. Drink coasters with names like Ryan, Cunningham and Healy, were a huge hit as Christmas gifts for friends of Irish ancestry back home, and at a price of $1.50 U.S. were also very affordable.
Across the street at #24 Grafton, we explored the Dublin Bookshop, part of the Dubray chain of bookstores. There we found a wonderful guide on Irish biking trips for a cycling enthusiast on our list, a beautifully illustrated text on the Book of Kells for our librarian friend, and a couple of great Irish novels for our own reading pleasure. In the mood now with a few bags on our arms, we wandered among some of the craft stalls, picking up a traditional silver Claddagh ring and a Celtic knot necklace, wishing we had room in our suitcases for some of the incredible paintings and pottery.
Ready for a break and a hot Irish coffee, we ducked into (or I should say “up to” ) the second-floor Captain America’s restaurant. Grafton Street’s answer to the Hard Rock Cafe, Captain America’s is decorated with music memorabilia, and serves an unpretentious selection of American-style hamburgers and sandwiches at reasonable prices. Although the food was good, the highlight of our lunch was the discovery of their kitschy t-shirts which were a good buy at five pounds each (about $8.50), a great gift for our friends in the States. After all, who doesn’t want to be Captain America?
Fortified with burgers, fries and a touch of home, we headed back out into the Grafton melee in search of all things Irish. We picked up some inexpensive postcards and Irish Christmas cards at a drugstore, and stopped at the famous Bewley’s Oriental Cafe in search of scones and other treats for our afternoon tea. A 150 year-old institution in Dublin, the original Bewley’s was known as a favorite hangout for many writers, including James Joyce. The Grafton Street cafe, located on the site of Samuel Whyte’s school, is as popular now as the original was over a century ago, and is frequented by locals and tourists alike. Although there is a full-service restaurant on the second floor, we opted to pick up some scones and tea to take back to our room, as well as a couple of Bewley’s signature Christmas cakes in decorative tins to add to our stash of gifts.
After a fortifying tea and nap break back at the hotel, we headed out on foot again in search of a lively pub. The hotel concierge advised us to head for the Southwest area of the city which includes trendy Temple Bar, a nightlife hotspot between Dame Street and the River Liffey. After a couple of pints and some pub grub, our jet lag finally caught up with us so we headed back to the hotel, stopping for our last shopping binge of the day at the Powerscourt Townhouse. Located on South William Street, this 1774 mansion once belonged to the Viscount Powerscourt. Today, the mansion houses one of Dublin’s most popular upscale shopping centers, featuring antique shops, specialty boutiques, jewelry stores and cafes. The original grand mahogany staircase and detailed plasterwork are a fitting setting for the fashionable shopping crowd. An additional entrance on Johnson Court alley leads back to Grafton, making it a convenient stop on your shopping circuit.
On our final day in Dublin, we wandered through the grounds of Trinity College. Founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth, the college is home to the illuminated manuscript of the four gospels called the Book of Kells. Unfortunately, on the day we visited, the exhibit of the incredible illustrations by the 16th century monks was closed. Disappointed, we exited from the college grounds in front of a store called House of Ireland, where we consoled ourselves with a budget-busting visit. Selling Ireland’s famous Waterford Crystal and other handmade native items including linens and giftware, the store carries an extensive selection of hard-to-find patterns of the famous crystal, many available only through special order from the U.S. The helpful sales clerk’s offer to pack , insure and ship our purchases back to the States for a reasonable fee clinched the deal, and we left as the proud owners of a set of Clannad pattern red and white wine glasses, and a Rock of Cashel vase.
Most purchases in Ireland are subject to a 21 per cent VAT (sales) tax which is included in the price of the merchandise. However, visitors from outside the U.K. can get a refund simply by filling out a CashBack form at the shops, and presenting them at the CashBack office at the Dublin airport. Because of our extravagant Waterford purchase, we saved almost $200 by redeeming all of our CashBack vouchers before leaving the country.
Shops are generally open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., although some do extend their hours during the holiday season. Major credit cards such as Visa and MasterCard are accepted at most shops and restaurants, although you will need some cash for sidewalk vendors and some of the smaller, independently owned stores.
A visit to Dublin would not be complete without a visit to the Guinness Brewery. Located about 6 miles from the city center, the original St. James Gate Brewery, leased by Arthur Guinness in 1759, now houses the museum, while the modern facility next door continues to produce the mother’s milk of Ireland.
The smell of burnt barley greeted us as we exited the taxi, and we followed our noses to the main ticket counter to purchase our admission for the tour. Instead of a ticket, we were handed round acrylic tokens which had a small drop of Guinness suspended in the center. These were not only our tour tickets, but also our tickets to a free pint of creamy beer at the Gravity Bar on the 14th floor where the 360 degree panoramic view was as heady as our pint.
The museum tour is self-guided and includes a short film on Arthur Guinness and the beginnings of the brewery, as well as several exhibits of the beer-making process laid out in chronological order. However, for my boyfriend, the next best thing to the free pint of beer, was the Guinness memorabilia gift shop. Proving that shopping is not just a female sport, he polished off his Christmas list with the purchase of Guinness rugby shirts, beer glasses, bar towels and reproductions of the famous beer’s advertising signs.
The friendliness of the Irish people is legendary, giving renewed meaning to the phrase “Christmas Cheer”. Strangers are greeted like long lost friends, the bartender at the local pub is just as likely to burst into song spontaneously as are the musicians on every street corner, and taxi drivers are charming and informative tour guides.
For shopping or pub-hopping, for scenic walking and invigorating talking, Dublin is a great choice for a holiday break.
