From high fashion to local crafts, Ireland offers gifts of a wide range. Many places offer merchandise that is both stylish as well as unique and influenced by Irish culture, a rare combination.

Irish Glassware
To bring someone home a piece of Ireland, a good thing to look into is crystal and glassware. Galway, Tipperary, Tyrone, Waterford, and Newbridge Silverware are all Irish companies that lead the industry in elegance, often collaborating with top fashion designers as well. At Jerpoint Glass Studio, a family-run glassblowing studio, you can buy a homemade piece as well as watch it being made.

Traditional Irish Garb
Ireland is also known worldwide for its knitwear and woolen goods. Aran sweaters, deriving their name from the Aran Islands off the western coast, were originally popular in fishing villages and are now popular with visitors as a token of Irish culture; not to mention that they're excellent for cold weather too. More high fashion versions are available as well, such as capes made of a combination of cashmere and wool. Some of the top names in Irish knitwear are Kilkenny Design, Blarney Woollen Mills, Dublin Woollen Mills, Avoca Handweavers, and for more modern designs Lainey Keogh and Lucy Downes' Sphere One collection.

Ceramic Gifts
Another type of traditional Irish craft is pottery and ceramics. While some styles are classic, there are also more stylish options available for those savvy in interior design. Some of the biggest names are Stephen Pearce, Louis Mulcahy, Nicholas Mosse, and Michael Kennedy. Kilkenny Design, Eden Pottery, Ballydougan Pottery, County Armagh, and Mhacha Pottery are all good places to purchase ceramic gifts.

Handmade Crafts
Other typical gifts from Ireland include Parian china from Belleek, linen from the Irish Linen Centre, and lace from various craft shops. More unique crafts may be found in The Cowshed Studios in Kesh or County Fermanagh which specialize in hand painted Batik art and Celtic garden sculptures. Craft Village in Londonderry and Kilkenny Design Centre and the National Craft Gallery in Kilkenny are also good places to find both modern and traditional handmade crafts. Jameson's whiskey is always a popular gift too, or Bushmill's, from the oldest licensed distillery in the world

For the Fashionista
For more sophisticated tastes, Ireland's fashion designers offer some stylish gift options. Some of the top names include Louise Kennedy, Quin & Donnelly, Oakes, Paul Costelloe, John Rocha, Michelle O'Doherty, Joanne Hynes, Orla Kiely, and haute couturier Jen Kelly. Good places to find them are boutiques such as those on Clarendon Street, Grafton Street and South William Street in Dublin, or The Design Center, Powerscourt Townhouse Center, Brown Thomas, and the Cow's Lane Market. Lisburn Road in Belfast, Ballymena, Newry, Londonderry, Coleraine, Beth in Cork, and Les Jumelles in Galway are all also great shopping centers around the country, with gifts such as antiques, interior designs, and shoes in addition to clothing.

When to Shop
Most stores are usually open from Monday to Saturday between 9:00am and 6:00pm, extended to 8:00pm or 9:00pm on Thursday at larger shops. Many shops are open for more limited hours on Sunday as well.