Shopping Report

I was only home for the few days and there was little energy or time for serious shopping or scouting, but my motivated mother and shopaholic sister-in-law made sure I didn't come back completely empty-handed. Here are the fruits of our three-hour retail-therapy session (right before I packed my bag!):

This is how much room I had in my bag; I'd even less room in my wallet.

Gloves

Found a lovely pair of oatmeal wool fingerless gloves from Fisherman
Out of Ireland at the Blarney Woollen Mills store near Bunratty Castle.

Books

Every time I go home, I come back with a suitcase full of books. This time, I was looking for something in particular—The Empire Trilogy, by J.G.Farrell—so I had less time to browse new releases. I abandoned my search eventually (after four bookshops turned me away—I'll have to take it to the web), and was happy out with three John McGahern books (The Barracks, The Dark, and That They May Face the Rising Sun), a copy of The Táin, translated by Thomas Kinsella, and Ship of Fools; How Stupidity and Corruption Sank the Celtic Tiger by Fintan O'Toole. Can't wait to get reading ...

Hats

I added three nice new hats—or as my grandmother says, "three auld caps for going to get the cows"—to my hat collection. There are some muck-ugly caps out there, especially in tourist-centric spots, so I usually find mine in old-man shops or any outdoor-supply stores (tip: if you see wellies, rain-jackets, and fishing tackle in the window, there's a good chance they carry these caps, too). They usually run for about 20 euro each.

Glasses

A set of four pretty short wine glasses by Rachel Allen for Tipperary Crystal.

Pottery

A glossy tea-pot, creamer, and sugar-bowl set from Delphi Pottery at Carraig Donn.

Clothing

I didn't really have much time to try stuff on, or, more important, to rationalize spending money on clothes in Ireland (it's not cheap). I left some lovely stuff behind; sigh, I'm haunted by a periwinkle-blue cardigan with a little anchor motif on the pocket, and a beige lineny dress and gorgeous crochet-scarf ensemble. Oh well, I did grab this lovely black dress with grey, blue, and white pattern and pretty beaded neckline ...

... and to be sure I wouldn't be cold in my dress (that was about all the rationalizing I did!), I also grabbed this shaggy-sheep cardi (dress and cardi both from River Island). I hummed and hawed at the register, but I'm oohing and aahing now that it's here with me.

Full basket/bag. That's what I call power-shopping! Honestly, the Irish government should be flying me home for free with the work I do for the Irish economy!