Love love love charity shops so my reviews of them are nearly always positive. This Aid Action in…read moreDun Laoghaire is lovely, they always have great window displays which always pull me in! They have a lot of books in this shop for a euro or less and the staff as super friendly and helpful and don't mind if you spend ages browsing in the shop.

There's very little of the "used books" feel in this excellent used book shop -I really think it's…read moredown to pride. Only book lovers would take the sale of donated titles as seriously as a first-run store would! The selection is diverse (and well priced) with a smart layout and neat shelving of books by genre - much better than the usual hodge podge usually seen in charity shop book racks! And there's even been consideration made for children as well, with a thriving YA and under offering that makes an easy weekend treat for those kiddies accompanying you on City Centre shopping. Once my "have-read" bag is full I'll trot it down here for donation, they'll be in good hands!

Another of Oxfam's stand alone bookshops, again this doesn't feel like a charity shop and its great…read morefor browsing. This one is centrally located on Parliament street. As well a good quality books, they also have CD's, DVD's & Vinyl( thats records to you under 25's) As with the Rathmines shop this is a great place to get high standard second hand stuff, with everything well presented and friendly staff.

Went to Recreate for the first time this week and was delighted with what I found. Basically it's…read morea small warehouse filled to the brim with random left overs from businesses all over town that you can look through and take. Well as long as you have an account with them. There is so much on offer from containers, fabric, paper, plastics , boxes etc. I spend a whole hour there looking through what was on offer and came out with some great supplies for junk art with my class and a lot of materials for my science club . This place is a recyclers / teachers dream. I get the feeling that every time you go there, there will be different materials and the likes available. I'd recommend not going with something particular in mind as you can't tell what you'll come across. Be creative. Definitely take a look .

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.

There's something very unique about Bernardos on Liffey Street, it's brand new…read more Not the shop, which has been a mainstay on this Quays side street for years now, but the goods themselves. As part of a program launched by the charity, Barnardos now carries merchandise classed as "Brand New", donated from manufacturers and retailers for sale at lower prices in their store. This hasn't increased the amount of goods, and the selection can be just as spotty as when it was nanny's old blouses and cardigans on the racks. But, when every purchase goes to helping children and families here in Ireland there's no better bargain.

Barnardos is Ireland's leading children charity. One of the ways it campaigns for money is by…read morehaving gift shops around Dublin where all proceeds go to helping Ireland's disadvantaged children. The shop of Liffey Street doesn't get as much traffic as it deserves. If you have the patience, you can find some decent stuff. Their used book section sells page turners and classics for next to nothing. Clothing takes up most of the shop and is colour coded to make things easier. There are cute party dresses for little girls and a couple of exotic print blouses for women. The men's section needs a bit more work, but it had some funky vintage shirts. Overall Barnardos is worth a gander. At least your money goes to a good cause!

There is nothing more cleansing then a good clear out of your wardrobe and book collection. I spent…read moreall weekend being ruthless with what I don't need or read anymore and passed it on to these folks. I also gave them some small appliances that I have like and iron etc. They were so grateful for the donations and I felt great too to be clearing out all of my hoardings and also helping these good folks make more money for their great cause. I look forward to seeing someone reading one of my donated books one of these days.

Gorta on Capel Street is a large charity shop. There are some fine things to find here but mainly…read moreof the large variety. Furniture is always featured at the back of the store and sometimes flow into the front. Also Gorta features a great wall of shoes. A great little charity shop.

Barnardo's is Ireland's leading independent children's charity and this store helps raise money for…read moredisadvantaged Irish children. Barnardo's of Rathmines is a quaint little store in a line of charity shops on the Rathmines Road strip. This one has a good range of men's, women's and children's clothing, and even has the Barnardo's Brand New range, which features brand new clothes at heavily discounted prices. These are donated by a range of retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers. I was particularly impressed with the range of women's shoes and boots on offer, and at the lage number of CDs and videos on sale. These guys are doing great things for the youth of Ireland, so support them, volunteer at their stores and donate your unwanted clothing.

It might not have the 'trendy' image of Oxfam but this is a great little charity shop, and it's…read moreclear that the people who work here but a great effort into encouraging customers as well as charity. Barnardos are a children's charity which do significant work in all areas related to children and stores such as this provide some of their income. They stock a good range of clothes, toys, shoes and books and I seem to see something I'd like every time I walk past. Definitely a great place to browse for a bargain and do some good in the process!

This shop does have some cute stuff, handbags and scarves and a few pair of heels. Can't say that…read moreit would be my favourite shop to look for second-hand bargains, but if you arrive at the right time (you never know when they might have opened boxes with new donations with tiny treasures hidden among the more tacky garments) you can find some nice accessories. Their book selection last time I checked, wasn't the greatest, but for €1 (all books go for that price!) you can pick up some fiction you've probably never heard of before, and if you don't like the first chapters, you at least didn't really loose any money. If you feel like you can freshen up the selection, box your unwanted books and bring them over. They have a sign in the window now which reads that donations are urgently needed. The added incentive: you're supporting a good cause.

I'm all for charity shops, they do good work and I guess they are only as good as the stock thats…read moredonated to him. So, regarding books (which are the only thing in there that I could see of potential interest) there was a small selection of the literary version of TV3 drama and a few cook books. Bottom line: these folks need you people.... give and give generously.