Shopping
Among Northern Ireland’s many attractions, from historical sites to state of the art hotels, you can be sure that our visiting shoppers are never forgotten. Wherever your travels take you, fine foods, high fashion, traditional stores or multi-purpose shopping centres are always close by. So let’s step inside. The shops, markets, cafés and restaurants of Northern Ireland are ready for you.
Learning our craft: Shopping in Derry-Londonderry
Of course, we’ve a strong craft tradition here in Northern Ireland. So it’s worth looking out for something unique. Try Derry-Londonderry’s delightfully Dickensian Craft Village. Here, a reconstructed 18th century street meets a 19th century square. The result is an inviting mix of artisan shops, home to 70 local crafters, restaurants and coffee shops. Right in the heart of the city.
Derry-Londonderry’s not short of more contemporary options either. Foyleside Shopping Centre, Richmond Shopping Centre and Quayside Shopping Centre are all within easy reach and wonderful places to while away an hour or two.
Belfast shopping: Luxury brands, independent designers and eco fashion
Belfast, Northern Ireland’s capital city, could be the shopping capital too. City-central Victoria Square is the A-Z of shopping and home to many designer and luxury brands. Its unique Dome provides 360 degree views across the city to the famous Harland & Wolff Cranes, Belfast City Hall and Stormont Parliament Buildings.
Nearby Avoca with its modern take on traditional crafts is famous for its handwoven throws and scarves. Plus its wonderful food, which you can take home or enjoy in its welcoming café.
If independent designer fashion - or homewares - is more your bag, take a stroll down the renowned Lisburn Road. JoJo Maman Bébé, Oliver Bonas, Velvet Boutique and Hugo Thomas are all within reach.
And for the eco style-conscious, eco-fashion and sewing café the Fashion Souk brings a new take with locally sourced clothing from young and upcoming designers.
Keeping it fresh: Belfast’s St George’s Market
If you’re in search of fresh produce, St. George’s Market is the place to be. There’s been a market here since 1604. The present one, built between 1890 and 1896, is unsurprisingly one of Belfast’s oldest and most vibrant attractions and has been consistently ranked as one of the best markets in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Now a destination in its own right, the Friday Variety Market hosts 248 stalls. Among them 23 fish stalls, making it the leading retail fish market in Ireland. Saturday sees a City Food, Craft and Garden Market. And Sunday hosts the best of both with an extra helping of local crafts sellers with live music from local bands.
Destination Newry
Newry is really well positioned as a shopping destination for everyone. It’s just minutes off the M1 motorway between Dublin and Belfast and, as it’s just inside the border, almost all shops and businesses here will happily accept euro as well as sterling.
There are two major shopping centres in the city centre, both overlooking the Newry Canal: The Quays and the Buttercrane.
The Quays Shopping Centre is less of a shopping centre, more a way of life. In the heart of the city, it’s as handy for picking up a quick shop as it is for treating yourself to a whole new makeover.
With so many high street and local names all the one place, shopping here is not for wimps! You’ll need plenty of energy if you want to make it around all the stores. But energy is covered too, because there’s also a plethora of food and drink outlets to choose from, including Subway, Café Nero, Eddie Rockets, Starbucks, Bravo Live Cuisine, Deli Lites, Ground and Cunningham’s.
As for the stores – where to start? Might as well start with some of the biggest and best known names, including Marks and Spencer, Sainsbury’s, H&M, River Island, Superdry, Next, Sports Direct and Ernst Jones. Sostrene Grene’s made it all the way here from Denmark, and there’s also the heady scents of Lush cosmetics to check out. If you’re planning a trip to Northern Ireland’s great outdoors, there’s a Trespass clothing and equipment store here too. Elsewhere in the Quays you’ll come across Skechers, Stat Sports, Peter Mark, Pure Gym, O’Neill’s sportswear, Belleek Living, Pandora, Houston’s and Claire’s.
As if all that wasn’t enough, there’s a 10-screen cinema if you want to add a big-screen blockbuster to a blockbuster shopping itinerary.
And there’s more Newry shopping at the Buttercrane Centre
You’ll find the Buttercrane Centre on Buttercrane Quay in the heart of Newry, just minutes from the train and bus stations. With over 1,000 car parking spaces on site, you’ll always find a spot even at the busiest times. The Buttercrane is home to over 50 stores, from Dunnes to Dorothy Perkins. Jack & Jones, Primark, Dv8, Clarks, Boots, Trespass, Vera Moda and Newry native, Louis Boyd, are just some of the temptations here.
Food and drink are equally well catered for here too, with Burger King, Costa Coffee, Subway, Pancake Junction, Greggs (home of the sausage roll and vegan sausage roll), Vivo and T2 Coffee Shop and Bistro all on site.
When all the shopping is done and dusted there’s no need to rush home. Newry has plenty of places for you to stay or eat as well as shop, so you can put your feet up, try out some of your purchases, enjoy a meal or head out for an evening’s entertainment.
You’ll find the Canal Court Hotel (4*) also overlooks the Newry Canal and offers a number of bars and dining options to fit your mood and appetite, as well as a choice of 110 rooms and suites. Its proximity to the main shopping centres makes it the perfect base for shopping and then dropping.
The Linen Green: A luxury shopping village near Dungannon
The Linen Green is Northern Ireland’s leading shopping village and design store destination, offering high quality fashion, food, gifts and homeware in 150,000 sq ft of beautifully-restored and reimagined surroundings that were formerly linen industry workshops and offices.
It’s the perfect place to combine your fashion fix in unique boutiques with a lot of other unexpected treats, including Newbridge Silverware, Bedeck, Panache, R.Nook, Simply Pink, The Design Yard and Drumbriston Furniture. There’s a variety of café and diners to keep your energy levels up in between browsing the designer collections.
A central location, easy access from the M1 motorway and over 650 parking spaces make this an excellent and very popular shopping destination for visitors to all parts of Northern Ireland, and there’s so much more to explore nearby.
In fact, if you stay a little longer in the area, you could pop along to the tranquil 70-acre Dungannon Park for some relaxation, or why not visit one of the nearby National Trust properties? One is Ardress House, a lovingly-restored 17th century farmhouse set in 100 acres of woodland, orchards and riverside walks. There is also The Argory, a handsome Neo-Classical residence from the 1820s which boasts a host of eclectic interiors as well as a children’s adventure playground if your little shoppers need to blow off some steam!
And if all that shopping has tired you out, find a quiet corner to relax with a coffee and watch the world go by. You’ll find your second wind in no time.
