Claire's is the place to go if you're 14 and looking for some jewellery or to get your tiny little…read moreears pierced. You'll also probably end up in here if you're in the unfortunate position of having to organise a hen night (though this is a kiddies store so the gear is strictly PG). Feather boas, tiaras and all things pink, fluffy and sparkly abound. They also do a good line in parent-approved punk/goth clobber. I remember a time when there was no Claire's in Ireland and my class went on a school trip to Chester. Ninety 16 year olds descended on Claire's and it was pure carnage. We cleared the whole place out and the ferry home from Holyhead echoed with the sound of hundreds of jingling, sparkling bangles. To think that these days they just have to get the bus to Stephen's Green for their fix!

Attention all tweens: I found the perfect place for you to satisfy all your shopping needs…read more Claire's! It sells everything that young preadolescent girls love, stuff like Hello Kitty hair accessories, Jonas Brothers' merchandise, skull and bones (a la Avril Lavigne) wrist bands, multicoloured hair extensions and more. The good news is that this stuff is cheap as chips. The shop even has a promotion where five items (on a specific sales' rack) cost a fiver. One babysitting gig will easily cover the price.

The little stationary shop under the escalator in Blackrock can supply you with all the DL…read moreenvelopes and printer paper you can carry. They'll also print and fax for you. There used to be a guy here who was a real smooth pen salesman, gave me the hard sell on a cross fountain pen, which I still have. Apparently, or so he told me, it's the same pen Christy Moore bought here and uses. An extraordinary collection of school bags and laptop cases in such a small shop push Star Office Supplies into the four star rating category, I mean it's amazing they still have room to spare for envelopes. You may think four is unreasonable but if you read my review of the Stationary Super Store you'll know how much I love stationary shops.

What is it about pens? People collect them like personality flaws. You already have more than…read moreenough, but you just can't stop collecting more. Pens. And what is it about a good pen? One from which rich color flows smoothly, scratching gently, soothingly against paper. We get disproportionately attached to pens in a way that we don't with most other objects. When you find a good pen, it's such a score. And we all know it's impossible to have too many good pens. We greedily hoard the good ones, especially delighting in good pens we find or steal, knowing that, when the victim realizes his loss, his day will be ruined. We will have ruined that person's day! And we feel triumphant! It's sick. Pens make people go insane. Fortunately, it's not the most detrimental of mental illnesses, and I will openly admit to suffering from it. I blame it on the fact that I am left handed and need just the right pens or else my writing gets smeared all over the place. This is true, but it's really just an excuse to keep collecting, keep hoarding. I will never stop.

Pen lovers everywhere rejoice!…read more This has everything pen/stationary related you could ever need. Don't believe me? Just head to Dun Laoghaire and see for yourself!

This is an amazing store with beautiful sweaters and throws and Flock felt animals. I am from the…read moreUS and make a point every time I am in Dublin. Excellent

We happened to come across this store while walking by. It is located a bit further away from the…read morecentral shopping district but the items hanging in the window drew us in. This is a small shop filled with high quality woolen products - sweaters, scarves, hats, blankets, throws, etc. While a few items could be found in many other stores they had a lot of unique and beautifully made items I found nowhere else during my time in Ireland (and I went to a lot of stores that had woolen goods and knitwear). Many items appear to be handknit and the prices reflect that. During our visit they limited the number of patrons inside, keeping the door shut to control the flow. There isn't that much room to walk around given the small space and large number of products on display. If you're looking for some knitwear or woolen products you cannot find elsewhere, stop by Cleo's to have a look.

A great little shop if you need prints from your camera or phone in a hurry as they not only offer…read morethe usual 1 hour service but also have a few booths where you can do the job yourself. They also have a few utterly strange and nothing what so ever to do with photography gift ideas lying around the shop. My favourite of these is a big garish green and white chess set - how random can you get!? They also stock a small but nice selection of photo frames... which makes sense really.

This is a great place to visit. I went in to get my original oil painting framed. Apart from the…read moregreat professional service I received from the staff, the live music I listened to was brilliant. --- Yes, you are reading correctly -- live music -- they also have a music shop instore -- fantastic company (been in business over 40 years) and as I said, really really professional. Colm Bennett, Briarfield House, Dublin.

Adorable little shop filled with prints, trinkets and ceramics made in Ireland…read more Staff is friendly and helpful and this would be a great place to snag a quick gift for someone special.

A must-visit in Dublin! Irish Design Shop has every local good, gift, or trinket you need to make…read moreyour visit to Ireland as memorable as possible. I collect coasters from every country I visit and I spent 7 days looking for coasters with no luck. I even went into Irish Design Shop twice this day. After walking around the first floor looking defeated, a gal told me that there was an upstairs if I'm looking for anything else. As soon as I spotted these on a table upstairs I started to cry. Dramatic? I think not. I was ecstatic! I've since ordered artwork from them to deliver to the states. You'll regret not visiting their shop.

Are you 30 or 40-something, fairly wealthy, and into quality, resort-style clothing? Then Stepz is…read morefor you. This store isn't really to my tastes, but I don't fit into any of the above categories, so I guess it's not surprising. However, even though I wouldn't shop here I can appreciate that Stepz stocks a fairly decent range of clothing in quality brands and fabrics. The styles sometimes leave a little to be desired, but that's probably more a matter of personal taste than anything else. I did happen to find one very gorgeous camel coloured, very tightly fitted business skirt which, if not for the phenomenal price tag, would have complemented my wardrobe rather nicely. Stepz also stocks a range of jewellery and shoes, but I wasn't overly impressed with their offerings. Again, their range would probably appeal more to its target audience. Yet another boutique for the ladies-who-lunch of Malahide.