Cork Shopping: County Cork, Ireland

Shopping hotspots in Cork city begin in St. Patrick Street and the Grand Parade, home to department stores, (including the bargain-hunter's dream store, Penneys), as well as upscale boutiques and designer stores. Side streets offer a good selection of smaller outlets for everything from fashion to jewellery. The English Market and the Coal Quay Market give interesting alternatives, although the former is mainly for food. Oliver Plunkett Street is another suggestion if you're looking for department stores and boutiques in Cork.

The English Market is a central attraction and landmark in the city of Cork, although anyone from England might wander what the connection is, since it does rather resemble a typical continental emporium, where fresh foods and produce are found in a bustling atmosphere. A stroll around, sampling local Irish country wares and shopping for bargains, is a nice way to spend a morning, especially if it's raining.

When to Shop and Where
The Cork Butter Exchange in John Redmond Street hosts craft workshops and antiques can be found in shops and galleries along Paul's Lane. On Winthrop Street are several small charming covered shopping arcades, home to upscale boutiques and chocolate shops.

Outside of Cork, the Blarney Woollen Mill's retail outlet store is great for traditional Irish knitwear and tweeds, and in Youghal, the Pottery and Craft Centre has a huge selection of ceramic styles under one roof.

Those shopping for local wares and handicrafts should certainly track down retailers of the famous Waterford Crystal, produced nearby. Woollen clothing, such as jumpers and Aran sweaters are popularly sold in speciality shops, along with a good selection of wet weather gear! Lace and linen from this part of the world are also recommended.

Celtic jewellery and décor items are also often found in tourist shops around Cork, predominantly made from silverware and gemstones, with Connemara marble an exceptional example.

Another favourite local product of course is Irish tipple, particular whiskeys, or you might want to take home some Guinness souvenirs. Irish music is also world famous, and music stores in Cork have large sections dedicated to all sorts of local artists who might not be internationally renown but are certainly worth listening to, and would be unavailable elsewhere.

Those who like to trawl the shopping malls while on holiday, looking for bargains and unusual choices, should head to Cork's two huge department stores - Dunnes and Roches, which will keep you occupied for hours. You also have the choice of some modern malls, such as the vast new Mahon Point shopping mall, which portrays an atmosphere of contemporary sophisticated Ireland, post boom times. You will find, however, that many of Britain's high street brands have firmly colonised the Emerald Isle.