The Irish Shop

I really don’t know how this place stays in business. Every time I’ve been there the service is worse. Most recently I stood at the counter waiting to ask a question while the two employees had a mindless conversation about something that they couldn’t figure out. When I asked the question I was all but laughed at and then as I went to ask another question the second employee came back and they started talking again about a picture frame. Really, one would expect to be waited on as the only customer in the store. Not so here.

My husband absolutely loves these kind of shops, and wanted to take a peek during our leisure afternoon exploring downtown Oak Park for the first time.
Aside from a mumbled greeting, the representative at the counter was aloof and indifferent, ignoring us the whole time we walked though.
…And I guess we were «suspicious» looking, as we were quickly met by a police officer who appeared out of nowhere, and proceeded to «hang out» the half-​hour our so we were in the store.
Not sure if this is some kind of residual «Ashford House Syndrome», but it was creepy and quite disappointing considering how large and well-​stocked the boutique was.

This is my favorite Irish store to go to! It is totally worth the trip every time we had this way. They have amazing variety of authentic Irish goods imported from Ireland. The store is much larger on the inside that it appears from the outside! What a wonderful gem.

What a cute store!!!
They had so many items. Clothes, plates, rings, food, frames, key chains etc…
We happened to stop in randomly & walked around the store trying items on, we also ended up buying quite a bit too. :)
Definitely a neat store to stop in to! My only complaint is that they didn’t have my size (Claddagh ring) & they couldn’t tell me when they would be ordering more. I was told to purchase online to ensure the item was ordered… but it’s a little more costly due to shipping, Otherwise I still feel it’s a great place to visit whether you’re Irish or not. :D

A cute place to find gifts, even for non-​Irish folks. It’s a lot bigger than it seems from outside.

Very nice selection, and well lit to boot. I have been to some Irish shops which are really dark and dank. Save that for the Irish pubs folks.
Very helpful staff, wonderful experience. It is a little pricey, but it is worth it. Be sure to check if Charlie the pekinese dog belonging to the owner is about.

Being Irish myself what can I say? I sooo love this place! I actually cannot pass it without having to go in. The siren call of all things Irish tempts me and I cannot say no. :)
Where to begin? First off, I loooove the Cadbury chocolate fruit&nut bars. Made with pure Irish cream so they are much creamier and just taste WAY better than any Cadbury fruit&nut bars which you get from Canada or US.
Second there are all the other chocs that I love: Aero being a fond old favorite of mine. The teas (loose or if you must have it in a bag those too) are absolutely wonderful!
The sweaters are beautiful, REAL, and amazing. No factory crap here. I have bought sweaters here and yes they were expensive. But they are also HAND MADE IRISH SWEATERS. They are gonna last you forever so no they are not cheap — and that’s as it should be. Almost everytime I wear one of these sweaters I get compliments on it still. Very cool!
I have bought jewelry here — in particular the Claddaugh rings are very nice and they have a huge selection.
Of course there’s also a great assortment of Belleck China, Home made Irish Soda Bread, Scones, etc. some WONDERFUL teas, some great mufflers, oilskin coats, country driving caps, bodhrans, tin whistles, slate Welcome signs, books, the list goes on and on. How do they pack soooo much in such a tiny place, you will wonder when you go in?
And I absolutely love the friendliness of the staff here. They are never grumpy or annoyed to be there. Quite the opposite.
Just a beautiful little slice of Ireland, plunked down in Oak Park. Please be sure to stop in if you are passing by this gem!

This place totally isn’t my scene, with its dolls and other artsy-​craftsy type knick-​knacks. However, I’ve never seen an all-​Irish giftshop before, so it’s kind of interesting. Prices are as high as the market will allow, which isn’t exactly endearing.

I guess I wasn’t that impressed because I have visited Ireland several times. The items seem overpriced, but they do have a large selection of seemingly high quality goods.