It's Ireland's answer to Wal-Mart. Yes, I know I'm quite the phrase-maker, but it's true. Jamie W…read more and I came upon the expansive single-floor one in central Kilkenny as we were leisurely strolling to our hotel on Patrick Street after a hearty evening of lamb stew, slabs of Irish beef, pints of Guinness, and plenty of song at Kyteler's Inn (review: http://bit.ly/2lWIzzw). We saw a huge store through the windows looking downward at all the merchandise for sale - household wares, clothing, and a large supermarket (photo: http://bit.ly/2lCMTsc). There's just something about exploring a supermarket in a foreign land that gets me all giddy. Seriously. This market was huge and looked very much like any American supermarket toward the Whole Foods end of the spectrum. I knew I was in Ireland when I saw the extensive collection of whiskey on the shelves in the liquor section (photo: http://bit.ly/2mWrRVH). Faith and begorrah. As we crossed over to the meat section, everything was labeled Irish - Irish gammon steak, Irish back bacon joint, Irish chicken (photo: http://bit.ly/2lCSTRN). Proud stock they are on the Emerald Isle. Obviously proud of their meat. We just shopped for almost healthy snacks like chocolate-dipped rice cakes for the next day's road trip across the country to Dingle. Those were portable and tasty. Coincidentally, Dunnes was a takeover target of the Walton family at the turn of the millennium, but Ireland's major store chain remains family-run, presumably a wealthy family given there are over 125 stores in the chain. We found the stores so convenient that we ended up stopping at Dunnes in Galway and Dublin for our travel snacks.

Nice one stop shop! Dunnes offers clothing (decent quality, decent prices), home goods such as…read moretowels, linens, decorations, kitchen items, and FOOD! The supermarket was my favorite part as there's a great selection of meats, dairy products, sweets (candy, cookies, fresh baked cakes), coffee, teas, soda, chips... You name it.a great place for a tourist to see a European supermarket and to try the food! Also - this Dunnes has an awesome parking lot that is very convenient especially if you want to see the city centre.

This is the main store for Nicholas Mosse Pottery. His pottery is quite popular in Ireland, the UK…read moreand the US. In the US it is sold in many upscale department stores. We have a few mugs that we use for morning coffee. The store carries everything in his product line. There is an upstairs that has a 'seconds' room and the downstairs carries all of the first quality merchandise. During the work week you can see them making pottery.

Lovely pottery that is handmade in Ireland. Pauline upstairs was amazingly kind and patient in…read moreadvising me on choosing seconds. Everyone there was both patient and kind, we shut the place down and I had trouble with my credit card. There was zero pressure to buy and they encouraged me to sleep on my large purchase. This is gorgeous pottery I'm keen to start collecting after seeing it displayed so beautifully by Aberdeen Lodge's (in Dublin) hostess Ann...All the girls and manager were beyond lovely. Great place to visit, I'm sorry we were too late for tea room. Do visit!

A new, modern shopping centre conveniently located next to Kilkenny railway station. The centre has…read moreworked parts of the old railway station outhouses into its design and the cobbled entrance give it a traditional feel. It hosts many well-known high street shops such as TK Maxx, River Island, Next, Bennetton, Zavvi, and a large flagship Dunnes Stores supermarket. Grab a coffee or some lunch in the foodcourt which has a Bagel Factory, Quigley's, Gloria Jeans and Costa Coffee with seating on a heated cobbled square covered over by a large glass roof.

We stopped in town as part of a very nice tour with Wild Rover that included Kilkenny, Wicklow and…read moreGlendalough. (A very worthwhile day tour by the way). We had a couple hours to wander on our own and as part of that we stopped in the design center here to do a little browsing. It is a little pricier than some shops but very well curated and that's why. Lovely artisan jewelry, scarves, caps, pottery, crystal, sweaters, soaps and such. A great place to bring home a nice keepsake that you'll enjoy for years to come. My mom bought a pretty cross necklace and I regret not purchasing an elegant pair of sterling silver and Connemara marble earrings during our visit but I really enjoyed our short time in Kilkenny, and would have liked much more time to explore it's interesting history, so I guess I'll just have to make my way back sometime!

Kilkenny Design Centres are located throughout Ireland, but this one might be the mother ship. Or…read moreat least the building complex it and other shops (and restaurant upstairs) are set in his pretty impressive. I was actually more interested in the K Foley leather shop in back, but they were closed on this recent Sunday afternoon. Gayle jokes that I've never met a gift shop I didn't like. That might be largely true, but the offerings of one either hit me or they don't. In the case of the 2-part Kilkenny Design Center, it didn't and not for the lack of trying! Cute Irish stuff, but not today.

The service was amazing! Gentleman behind the counter was very sweet and kind, also helpful!!…read moreThe selection truly reflects the antique spirit of this store! The value is what I always want to expect when walking into any antique store, 10/10, I absolutely recommend this place!

It was amazing! We were on a group tour in Ireland with my husband's employer, and stopped in…read moreKilkenny for lunch and a tour enroute to our new destination. I saw this shop and popped it. It had wall to wall packed collectibles, china, jewelry, linens, furniture and lots of other finds. It was the dusty, dirty, piled to the ceiling place that a true antiques and vintage lover seeks out above all else when traveling! I purchased a terrific 1940s Czech cocktail ring in a brilliant cobalt blue glass! It's just stunning and I got a great price. The shopkeeper was very friendly and happy to make the sale. I'll be back if I'm ever in the area, for sure.

Mr. Darcy was a fantastic treat. His shop is full of great things, including a wonderful selection…read moreof Guinness things. We purchased a mug and Guinness gnome, and Mr. Darcy gave us a great deal on them! We arrivedbjust before closing time and he graciously spent time helping us find exactly what we needed. Thanks!

Highbank Orchards is open to the public, but call ahead and let Rod and Julie know that you would…read morelike to visit. It's easy to reach with a car, just outside Kilkenny. We happened to show up at the same time as a chef who they had invited to the orchard, so were lucky to be treated to a tractor-pulled tour. Rod is zealous about his adherence to organic farming and is a bottomless pit of knowledge about the ecosystem here - he explained in detail why the orchard runs best when left to its own devices, including details such as the benefits of letting grass grow beneath the trees and housing his own bee colony for pollination. They juice the apples and let nature take over - no yeast added, and the natural yeast that is everywhere (yes, everywhere) takes over. The results are magical: their cider is amazing. They feature a dry real cider and a honeyed Medieval Cider, both of which were excellent, and the latter of which is smoother for sipping (though they are emphatic that cider should be enjoyed with food!) They also create a unique and tantalizing apple syrup and numerous spirits, distilled onsite - incredibly smooth vodka as well as brandy and other amazingly good potions that you just have to try. Some of the local restaurants serve their ciders and syrups, and we found ourselves hunting down Highbank products for the rest of our visit to Ireland. Rod and Julie are a brilliant team and we really enjoyed our visit - we plan to stop by the next time we are in Ireland!