Shopping in Killarney
So, Killarney isn’t exactly New York City when it comes to shopping. No, we weren’t built for it. Placating tourists with our lovely mountains and lakes is our thing, I mean, who needs good shops when you’ve got mountains and lakes, eh? But people like to shop wherever they go. And over time, the town of Killarney has learned this and now shopping in Killarney has improved. We’re not Fifth Avenue just yet but we have gotten our collective arse in gear. So here are five shops in which you can shop until you figuratively, and hopefully not literally, drop.
Deerpark Shopping Centre, Park Road
It’s the place behind the big Tesco. You can’t really miss it. It’s a relatively new addition and is actually quite impressive. For our standards anyway. It possesses a New Look, Burton, Dorothy Perkins and Kerry’s only Marks & Spencers. Burton is quite a good spot in which to nab a bargain if your a member of the Y chromosome while for the ladies, New Look is lauded around Kerry for its dazzling apparel and trinkets.
Penney’s, High Street
If you’re English then wherever I say “Penney’s” you can read “Primark”. Because that’s what it is. Not the most original selection, I know, there’s a Penney’s in every town in Ireland worth its salt. But the Penney’s in Killarney is humongous. They moved into their new premises two years ago. It is still the best place in town to nab a bargain and the quality of clothes is steadily improving. It’s stealing a lot of ideas from River Island really.
O’Neills, Plunkett Street
Okay, so this is kind of a tourist shop. You may be thinking “Oh tourist shop, that’s for me!”. No it’s not. Avoid tourist shops like the plague but O’Neills is an exception. It’s a dainty little shop plunked in the middle of Killarney’s smallest street. It sells souvenirs and the like but it also sells gun replicas, hurleys, fishing equipment and posters. You know all that tat you keep in your garage and never use? O’Neills sells that. It’s a really fun shop.
Killarney Outlet Centre
This place was sort of abhorred by locals and is stiill thought of as a very expensive white elephant. But we’ve gotten used to it and it is decent for the off bargain. Leading Labels, Paco, Claire’s Accessories, Blarney Woolen Mills and B Moda make up the clothing retailers. The centre’s main draw is its Nike Factory which is a goldmine for any sporting enthusiasts amongst us. There is also an Army Surplus Store, which sells camping equipment (Not guns and tanks as its title may suggest) and a book shop named The Works for any bookworms.
Quills, High Street
The thing about Quills is that you’ll think it’s a tourist shop when you walk in. The front windows are lined with Aran jumpers and green cardigans and it all looks very quaint. But if you venture to the back you’ll actually find some quality clothing. The suits in there are divine and they have a great selection of shoes. The women’s section is quite big and is a bit like TK Maxx – you’ll have sift through a lot of crap before you find something worthwhile. But if you look hard enough there are some great clothes to be bought. So it’s a quality clothes store disguised as a tourist shop? Strange, I know.
