Kilkenny Design Centre specialises in Irish design and crafts

Malahide, Dun Laoghaire, Blackrock and Dalkey are great for shopping

Celtic Whiskey Shop on Dawson Street, has Ireland's largest selection

The outdoor Temple Bar Christmas Market opens over four weekends before Christmas

Dublin shoppers mainly head for the two main traffic-free shopping streets of Grafton Street and Stephen's Green on the south side of the River Liffey and Henry Street on the north side.

Grafton Street Dublin

Grafton Street is home to most of Dublin's smartest shops. Top of the shopping range is the famous department store Brown Thomas - strong on fashion. The jewellery and watch specialist Weirs is also here. In Grafton Street you will find the most popular of Dublin's famous Bewley's Cafés and many of the inevitable big-name chain stores too.

Other good shopping streets in this area of Dublin include Wicklow Street, Dawson Street, and South Great George's Street. Parallel is Clarendon Street, with the Powerscourt Townhouse where there are smaller outlets, restaurants and cafes, and the Westbury Mall which is full of gift shops and cafes.

On Dawson Street, to the east of Grafton Street, is the Royal Hibernian Way, a small shopping mall with exclusive menswear, flower and chocolate shops and a wine bar owned by former Formula One race car driver Eddie Irvine.

St Stephen's Green Mall Dublin

This is the largest shopping mall in Dublin with a wide range of stores and restaurants. The three-storeys tower over the surrounding buildings but blend in well thanks to some imaginative design based on Victorian galleries. The ground floor shops are open galleries. Among the 100 or so stores are big name retailers as well as specialist shops and stalls.

Henry Street Dublin

Dublin shoppers on the north side of the river head for Henry Street where there are big department stores, such as the popular Arnotts, as well as a wide range of popular fashion and footwear stores. The ILAC shopping centre and the newer Jervis Street Shopping Centre are both here.

The well-known outdoor food market in Moore Street is always crowded as is nearby O'Connell Street, Dublin's main thoroughfare. This is home to the excellent Clery's department store and to Eason's Booksellers.

Dublin markets

The Liberties is one of the oldest areas of Dublin, found between Christchurch and the Liffey. The Liberties is packed with antiques shops and it also hosts many crafts and gift shops. The market is usually open on Friday and Saturdays, and on Sundays around Christmas.

Mother Redcap's is worth seeking out. It's an indoor market near to Christchurch and has stalls selling food, books, antiques and clothes. Next door is Iveagh Market with second-hand clothes bargains.

Near Grafton Street is the red-brick George's Street Arcade, an indoor market that has a bohemian and slightly alternative atmosphere - just the place fortune telling and body piercing on top of unusual souvenirs and collectibles.

For Dublin shopping with character, head for Moore Street Market, to the west of O'Connell Street. It opens every day but Sunday and specialises in fruit, vegetables and flowers. Traders arrive in horse-drawn carts, and it's hardly the tidiest spot on earth - squashed vegetables on the cobblestones are a hazard - but it's full of Dublin character.

Permanent shops in the market include Irish family butchers and many small Asian and African shops. Beware of pickpockets, as this a popular tourist spot, but add it to any shopping tour of Dublin.

Dublin shopping hours

Dublin shopping hours are usually 9am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday and Dublin city centre shops open late on Thursdays until 8pm.

Late opening in the Dublin suburbs is usually on Fridays. Several of the larger Dublin chain stores open on Sundays, usually in the afternoon.