Shopping
Dublin may be small, with its two main shopping districts
located no more than a 20 minute walk away from each other, but it
has some wonderful opportunities for shopping sprees in some of the
world's top shops and brand names.
The largest of Dublin's shopping centres, the Jervis Shopping
Centre, is located on the north side of the River Liffey and offers
2 floors of shopping decadence while the top floor is a food hall
where shoppers can stop to refuel. The Blanchardstown Centre is the
largest shopping centre in Ireland, spanning two floors, four wings
and a plethora of shops and boutiques selling just about
everything.
On the south side of the river is Grafton Street, where some of
Dublin's most expensive shops can be found, such as Weirs, an
up-market jewellery shop offering wonderful Celtic souvenirs in
silver and white gold. Popular with tourists is the Blackrock
Market, touting locally produced arts, crafts and food. The House
of Ireland on Nassau Street is the place to go to buy some of the
finest quality souvenirs Ireland has to offer, from crystal to
knitwear and Irish linen, which is still regarded as some of the
best in the world.
Most shops in Dublin are open from 9am to 6pm or 7pm from Monday
to Saturday, while they're only open from 12pm to 6pm on Sundays.
Value added tax (VAT) of 21% is levied on most goods and services
but non-European visitors can apply for a tax refund on any goods
bought that are being exported. Not all Dublin shops participate in
Tax-free Shopping programme, so tourists are advised to look out
for the logo displayed in shops windows.