Rouge Boutique in Drogheda has a lot of fans out there, or so it seems from number of you who have nominated it as a contender for the best shop in Ireland. We've been hearing a lot about The Constant Knitter on Francis Street, Dublin 8, while Hennessy's gift shop in Castlecomer is coming up again and again in your emails and facebook comments.
Reader Wendy Cullinan is particularly impressed with M J O'Neills Butchers in Clonakilty, saying "their spiced beef is historic and truly a taste of west Cork". The Perryville Tea Rooms in a converted boat house in Kinsale (below), is described as "the most stylish tearoom in the country". The Parting Glass wine shop in Enniskerry is praised for its friendly wine-tastings and terraced garden while Laoise A O'Cleary and many more have nominated Moss Cottage in Dundrum for its quirky stock and free gift-wrapping service. The Lilliput Stores in Stoneybatter is a gem, according to Davina Smith and others who like its choice of fruit, vegetables and cakes.
In Greystones, schoolgirl Em Jackson has this to say about Mrs Mooney's shop on Trafalgar Road: "First we love Mrs Mooney. She is always smiling and has a twinkle in her eye. Mrs Mooney knows all our names. She even knows our parents' names from when they were little. She has been running the shop for nearly 60 years. Mrs Mooney keeps up with all the new sweets and playground crazes. We love her Traffic Light Lollipops and Marshmallow Men." Praise indeed.
Please keep the suggestions coming. Over the summer, our team will be visiting shops all over the country and each week we'll keep you updated on the nominations. On August 25th, we'll gather together the very best, across several categories, in a special edition of the Magazine.
Tell us about your favourite shop or shop-keepers by emailing bestofirishshops@irishtimes.com or commenting on our Facebook page, facebook.com/irishtimes
