Galway is home to many locally owned-and-operated shops who offer arts, crafts and speciality foods enjoyed by visitors and locals alike.
Many of these are located slightly off the main streets, and easy to miss unless you know what you're looking for. But they offer wonderful quality, and value. These are the places where Galwegians shop for gifts, or even for their day-to-day needs. Choose your starting point and take a stroll around the city's best shops.
1 Treasure Chest
Located just above Shop Street, this treasure-trove of gifts and more is definitely not a tourist trap: This is a store where locals buy presents, and items for their own homes. Read more ...
2 Powell's Four Corners Music and Art-Supplies
In a city's that's alive with tunes, music stores are an essential. Powell's has two music areas, a front store for people who are interested in music and a second area for musicians to get close to their wide range of traditional and classical instruments. Upstairs is the arts and crafts area, with wide range of specialist materials. Read more...
3 Blacoe Jeweller's
Galway's family run manufacturing jewellery store, with goldsmith Robert making unique pieces to original designs. Read more ...
4 Mishnóc
Located in the original pro-Cathedral building, this shop specialises in quality handmade leathergoods, mostly produced in their workshop in County Galway. Read more ...5 McCambridges
Selling fine foods and wines in Galway City for almost 100 years, McCambridges is the very epitome of a local business. It has grown from being grocery store, to now include a delicatessen counter, food hall, restaurant - and they stock a fine range of Irish whiskeys too. Read more ...6 Vanda Luddy Art Gallery
Offering prints and originals by local artist Vanda, this shop is a veritable visual feast, with eye-catching paintings of a wide variety of local scenes, landscapes and people. Read more ...7 Truffle
Opened in 2021, this shop offers a great selection of artisan chocolate, cake and macaron - for yourself or to give away. They combine the style and skill of a French chocolatier with the family passion behind Le Petit Delice. Read more ...8 Herterich Pork Butcher
Open in Galway since 1940, this artisan butchery store is worth a visit to see their wide range of locally prepared products, and to admire the mosaic which graces the front of the shop. Read more ...9 Anthony Ryan's Homestore
It's not often that a homeware shop features on a list like this - but the range of kitchen equipment available here has to be seen to be believed. There are dozens of fascinating gadgets you'd never dream of, just waiting to be discovered. Ryans have some main-street clothing stores too, but this is the gem that is worth going out of your way to visit. Read more ...10 St Nicholas' Market
It's not exactly a shop, but this city-centre street market has been here, beside the city's oldest church, for centuries. These days, it's open on Saturday and Sunday, with extended days before Christmas period and during some festivals. Offering a wide range of food and craft-goods, the market is a favourite meeting place for locals and offers a colourful view of life in the city. Read more ...11 Evergreen Healthfoods
Perhaps not usually included in tours of the city's unique shopping experiences, Evergreen is a locally owned and operated healthfood store, with a vast array of gluten free, organic and vegan foods, supplements, herbal remedies and natural skincare products. Very much a "locals" shop, this is a great place to find alternative Irish foods and more. Read more ...12 Thomas Dillon's Claddagh Gold Jewellers
Established in 1750, this shop includes a tiny museum, celebrating their history as the oldest makers of the Claddagh ring at the heart of Galway City. Read more ...13 Designs of Ireland
This shop stocks locally produced knitwear including woollen sweaters made to both traditional and contemporary designs, jewellery, accessories and homeware items. Read more ...14 Wooden Heart
Focussing on high-quality, ethically-made wooden toys, this delightful family-run toyshop is based in a small house that that was built in around 1850 - you almost feel as though you are stepping into a dolls-house as you browse. Read more ...
15 Claddagh and Celtic Jewellery Company
The closest jewellery store to the Claddagh - and now home of the Claddagh Pride Ring, this shop overlooks the site of Galway's original fish-market where seafarer's would sell their catch.| Read more ... |
16 Judy Greene Pottery
One of the city's longest established discerning gift stores, featuring local and international pottery in an elegant, unhurried location in Kirwan's Lane. Read more ...17 - 2 Wild Geese
An emporium of Irish design, run as a community market place, there is always new and professional art work available here in this indoor gallery-space. Read more ....
