A town that has come into its own in recent years, Midleton is a bustling, commercial heartland. Just a 20-minute drive from Cork city, it has many Corkonians travelling there to shop; but its fans are not only those from close by. The town, with a population of 8,000, draws shoppers from as far afield as Waterford. One of its main retail attractions is boutiques, such as Sheena's, Zara's, High Society and Impulse, where shoppers come to buy outfits for occasions - often weddings.
Start the day with the cornucopia of treasures that can be found in The Farmgate, The Coolbawn (aka Broderick Street), a shop/restaurant. Stroll in off the street and find your senses assaulted by cheeses, cakes, chocolates, cherries, spiced beef, honey, pickles, preserves, puddings, tarts and wines. You can buy them individually or as a hamper, beautifully packaged and custom made, by Marog O'Brien and her staff.
You may just want to buy a hamper voucher but you can also discuss the contents with Marion Dorgan, who runs the shop. Marog says. "We like to match what we include to the people who are going to receive it." says Marog.
Otherwise, what better way to warm the cockles of a loved one's heart at Christmastime than to give them a bottle of Irish whiskey? If you're unsure of what to buy, visitors to the Jameson Heritage Centre are offered a whiskey tasting following a tour of the centre, which takes you through the different characteristics of the most popular Irish whiskeys. The shop offers 10 different brands. Among the most popular are the Jameson Distillery Reserve for £12 and the very attractively packaged Midleton Very Rare, for £55, which comes in a wooden box with the signature of the master distiller on the label. The shop also stocks a number of good stocking fillers, including Irish whiskey sachets and truffles.
Bright Ideas in The Coolbawn is a gift and craft shop that sells mostly Irish goods, a number of which are made in the immediate area. Proprietor Christine O'Shea finds that the more local the product, the more people are interested in buying it. A range of wooden crafts made in nearby Macroom stands out. It includes wooden candle sticks from £13.99, a table lamp complete with wooden shade for £99.99 and a nifty wooden wine stopper for £3.99. "The wood sells itself," Christine says. Bright Ideas also stocks bronze sculptures by Jeanne Rynhart, Avoca Blue glassware and hand-painted silk scarves by local artist Anne O'Leary.
When you walk into Creative Designs on Main Street, you find yourself surrounded by colourful mobiles, creative candles, golden cherubs, Celtic jewellery and an array of different items that make excellent presents. To the rear are steel sculptures including a steel surgeon, drummer or dentist, selling at £25.95.
Those fed up with walking into chain stores and seeing the same clothes over and over again should pay a visit to Impulse at The Coolbawn. Up to 80 per cent of Moira Flynn's customers travel from Cork for a change of label. Impulse also sells a range of handmade hats, and jewellery. Moira does not stock shoes, but to complete the outfit customers can go around the corner to her brother David, who owns O'Dwyer's Shoes on Main Street.
Lingerie is a very popular gift at Christmas but, according to Helen Barry at Lady Lane in The Coolbawn, women have no difficulty in treating themselves - not least in the festive season. And men, apparently, have no difficulty either in delving into underwear drawers to find the right size when seeking something special for a loved one.
Lovely lace and Lycra creations adorn the hangers in a range of colours, including the ever-popular black and cream, and the seasonal red and gold.
Parking: Riverside Way and at Distillery Walk.
Lunchstop: Back to The Farmgate for a leisurely lunch. Because of the inclemency of the weather, the day we visited leek and potato soup was a must, followed by warm spicy chicken salad and scrumptious lemon tart. (One wishes Marog would open up in Dublin.) And all for less than £9.
Hinterland Highlight: A 15 minute drive from Midleton brings you to Stephen Pearce Pottery a few hundred yards from the village of Shanagarry. Stephen digs clay locally by the River Blackwater for his highly distinctive pottery.
