Highlighting some of Dublin’s most beautiful cultural institutions and stores.
Have you ever found yourself scrolling endlessly on some of the largest retailers, looking for something unique and quirky to gift a loved one, only to be confronted with the same items that have been selling for years and years? While it’s the most wonderful time of the year, when it comes to Christmas shopping, it can also be one of the most stressful too.
That’s why Museum Shop Sunday is the perfect way to get out of that shopping rut. Find some truly distinctive items to wrap up under the tree when December 25th rolls around. Taking place on Sunday 30th November, Museum Shop Sunday encourages shoppers to visit their local museum shop when looking for Christmas presents. It’s mutually beneficial, for the shopper, discovering items you won’t find elsewhere, as well as the museum itself; when you shop at a cultural venue or heritage site you’re actively contributing to its future, as well as supporting the local suppliers and artisan makers that create the gorgeous products you’ll find there.
The EPIC Gift Shop is just one example of a truly gorgeous and curated space full of items that are built to last. These items that are inherently Irish, in subject and in design. Not only are the products special, but they also each have a story to them, adding to the Irish narrative in one way or another. The gift shop has high quality pieces that are exclusive to EPIC, as well as Gifts For Her, which includes scarves, jewellery, and bags, Gifts For Him, including Black Stout soap, whiskey stones, and comedy socks, and Gifts For Kids, where you’ll find musical instruments, crafting sets, and cuddly toys. These are items you’re unlikely to find at your local shopping centre and will have your loved ones asking where you shopped. It’s Dublin’s best kept secret, and we’re sharing it with all of you.
Shop Brands You Won’t See Just Anywhere
The EPIC Gift Shop specifically puts an emphasis not only on small Irish businesses, but ones that are eco-friendly and have sustainability at their core. Brands like CanDo, soap made with plant-based ingredients and using minimal packaging, Don’t Kill My Vibe, Gen Z-esque jewellery that not only spotlights the Irish language, but also uses 100% recycled brass, and Pawpear, creating bright cards for all occasions, and made using 350gsm card from sustainably managed forests, are all examples of how you can shop in a way that is less harmful to the planet, without losing the shine of a thoughtful gift.
If you can’t make it out to your favourite museum or cultural venue, many of them also have online shops. EPIC’s online gift shop showcases many of its bestsellers, offering free domestic shipping for orders over €75. There is also paid worldwide shipping, if your loved one has emigrated and you need to get their present overseas. Shopping in general, but particularly Christmas shopping, should be done with purpose. It’s easy to fall into the monotony of online shopping with huge retailers, but you’ll feel good and excited to present your gift to a cherished friend or family member when you’ve taken the time to really think it over and choose. So, make a day out of Museum Shop Day. While you’re at your chosen cultural venue, you might as well make the most of it and do a tour with some friends or family.
Our Guide To Museum Shop Sunday Shopping
Whether you’re heading to IMMA to breathe in some modern art, the National Gallery of Ireland to explore some of the world’s most famous pieces, the Museum of Literature, to read about some of the most acclaimed authors of past and present, who just happen to be Irish too, or EPIC, to discover the true story of those who left the Emerald Isle, you’re bound to come across something truly special to go under the tree. Remember, even when Museum Shop Day passes, you can still opt to shop local and more sustainably through these vendors as opposed to the big retailers you’re used to doing your shopping in. November 30th serves as a reminder of the many local shops at your disposal that will stock the one-of-a-kind gifts that will have your loved ones’ faces light up on Christmas morning.
So what are you waiting for? Museum Shop Sunday is just around the corner. The EPIC Gift Shop opens 7 days a week within the historic chq Building; you don’t need to have bought tickets to the museum to enter (although why not!).
