Now the best thing that I can tell you about Oxfam shops and not just this one in Dun Laoghaire is…read morethat if you take your old or unwanted Marks and Spencer clothes here you get given a voucher for M & S for the value of €7 - per item. AND you can be sneaky and take an item in there each time and get one voucher - got to be good.

I like how Oxfam have specialised a number of there outlets, like the bookstore on Parliament…read moreStreet and the ethnic shop on King Street, this Oxfam in Dun Laoghaire hasn't been specialised in anyway and I think that given the abundance of charity shops in the area it could do with having a specific purpose. This Oxfam has a reasonable selection of second-hand clothes and other sundry items at absolute bargain prices. The selection isn't quite as good as some of the other charity shops in Dun Laoghaire though and I would check Barnardo's in particular before taking the plunge.

I remember running a bake sale with my sisters when I was about six years old (explaining much of…read moremy psychological aversion to over-masculine activities now that I think of it.) and donating the proceeds to Goal. About a week later we received a letter of thanks in the post and a Goal baseball cap each. Man, did I love that baseball cap. I wore it everywhere, until my mother feared it was harvesting lice and threw it out. Since that time I've always been drawn to Goal. They do great work in developing countries and really deserve praise and funding. Throw a few quid in the box in your local shop. Very much worth your change.

If you've lived in Ireland for any amount of time, or ever read a copy of the Irish Times, then…read moreyou'll have heard of John O'Shea. One of the most outspoken NGO types around, his charity tapped into one of the most brilliant ideas for an NGO - make it the sportspeople's choice. Very family-oriented still (the daughters are deeply involved and that), it's one of those 'local charities gone global'. Campaigning to alleviate poverty in the poorest of the poor, their outspokenness and visibility via the involvement of prominent sportspeople means that they are one of the best-known in this NGO sector. Calling their volunteers GOALies, organising runs and other sporty fundraisers, they know their niche, and work tirelessly on their issues.

Barnardos are a children's charity that aims to make Ireland a better place for children and to…read moreattempt to ensure that no child gets left behind. They do a lot of fundraising and a key element to this is their charity shops. Okay, I've been holding out on you guys long enough. I've reviewed a few charity shops, but this one, this one is my favourite. I don't know how they do it but Barnardos in Dun Laoghaire always have the best stuff. A few years ago I got a Baumler tuxedo (a fancy one, basically) for ten euro that was practically bespoke it fit me so well. It was the best thing ever owning my own dress suit, I felt like a high society debutante every time I opened my slide-robe. I was in there recently and they had around ten, fairly low-quality, but still really cool looking , old and abandoned 35mm SLR cameras that, I imagine, will take slightly over-sepia'd, 1970s looking photographs. So, yeah, really a great charity shop, my favourite by a long way and definitely worth a visit if you're in the area

This shop is ok, some good finds can be had but it is a little sparse on merchandise and although…read moreit is spacious than most other charity shops they could fill some of the space with more things to buy, especially books. But over all a nice shop, with friendly staff and they do have a table laid out at the moment with brand new Christmas gift ideas including cards makeup sets and tea sets.