Tere!

Some people (particularly Japanese people) feel like buying and bringing souvenirs when travelling. Or, you might feel like giving something specific from your travel country that one of your friends or someone wants to go somewhere?

On the trip to Ireland in June, 2022, I didn’t buy a lot of souvenirs, and yet there are some recommendations of souvenirs even for yourself as a traveller when going to Ireland, so I made a list.

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Table of contents

1. Barry’s tea
2. Rich tea biscuits
3. Cadbury’s chocolate
4. Tayto
5. Carol’s products
6. Pennys
7. Butler’s
★Summary

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1. Barry’s tea

Barry’s tea is an Irish tea brand.

When I started living in DCU’s (Dublin City University) student accommodation in 2015, as a welcome gift, one small package of Barry’s tea was on the kitchen table, which was the first time I knew Barry’s tea.

At that time, Barry’s tea package in the accommodation was a green box, and it seemed to be a normal version of Barry’s tea. Later my Irish friend told me “Red Barry’s tea tastes richer,” since which I always buy red Barry’s tea. There is also a black version.

The sizes of packages are small (20 tea bags), medium (80 tea bags) as well as big (160 tea bags).

In 2019 when I travelled to Ireand, I bought the biggest one (160 tea bags). At that time, I flew to and from Dublin by Lufthansa, and they allowed a bag up to 8 kg for free. However, We flew by Ryanair to and from Dublin this time so we could bring only the small one (20*25*45 cm) for free, so I couldn’t buy the biggest one. (Strictly speaking, I could have bought it as my boyfriend had more space in his bag.) Therefore, I bought the medium size. Personally I was still satisfied. I got ready for a boring winter in Estonia!! 😂

Plus, while you are travelling in Ireland, and if you are not lactose intolerant, I recommend drinking tea with Irish full fat milk.

Super tasty!!

It’s a bit irrelevant, and yet even milk only is super tasty!!!!

2. Rich tea biscuits

Rich tea biscuits are not Irish, sorry, but British. Recently I came to know that in Nigeria which used to be the British colony, they can get rich tea biscuits. So envious!!! Therefore, if you go to an African shop in Estonia, it’s said that you can get rich tea biscuits. (I want to try it while I’m taking a break from the ketogenic diet.)

Unlike cookies, rich tea biscuits taste crispy (?). Given that you are interested, check out a scene in Dalkey island in the film called “Sing Street”, where two characters eat rich tea biscuits.

The thing is that the rich tea biscuits match tea. 🤭

What I bought was cheap Tesco’s (British supermarket chain) private brand rich tea biscuits, and yet it was still good.

I often ate rich tea biscuits while I was an exchange student in Ireland. (Usually I ate rich tea biscuits or digestive biscuits.)

3. Cadbury’s chocolate

Cadbury is also from the UK as a brand, and yet there is a company called Cadbury Ireland in Dublin. I was shooting an independent film when I lived there, and one of the actors was from Northern Ireland. He said

“Cadbury is tastier in the Republic!”

Really? 😂 Does it differ that much? 😂

Since I came to Estonia, I have eaten dark chocolate more often, so I felt it was super sweet, but it was really tasty.

I happened to encounter a new flavour of Cadbury’s chocolate in Dublin, which was orange, hence I chose that one as a souvenir for my coworkers. Since there are more products such as chocolate bars and other chocolate products from Cadbury, you may want to check them if you are interested. Ultimately, you can buy some small chocolate bars in Dublin airport.

4. Tayto

Tayto is something Irish!!

Tayto is an Irish crisps brand. It’s thinly sliced, and there are three flavours. Personally I love salt and vinegar. However, it seems many people prefer smoked bacon.

I didn’t buy this time, and yet in 2019 I bought one big bag, in which there were two small bags of three flavours. If you calculate, there should be six small bags in total, shouldn’t there?

Surprisingly, there were seven. 😂

I counted multiple times, but there were seven. 😂 I don’t remember which flavour had one more bag though. Then I told my Japanese friend A in Dublin by messaging, she said “I’ll buy and try too~”. 😂 So, if you are lucky, you may get one more?

Ireland is a super easygoing country. Estonia is rather more serious. 😂 Therefore, I think it’s less stressful to live in Ireland. Easygoing processes for immigration, repairs, etc are inconvenient though. 😂

They are easygoing, and that’s why they don’t care how many small bags are in one big bag. 😂

You can buy small bags of Tayto at Spar (kiosk) or convenience stores in Dublin airports.

Also, this is pretty common in Ireland that each kiosk has some meal deal consisting of sandwiches, a bottle of drink and a bag of snacks. You can get a small bag of Tayto in that way. It’s like a side “dish” of a sandwich.

There might be just big bags with one flavour like crisps you can see in Japan or in Estonia, and yet I don’t know as I ‘ve never seen or I’ve never paid attention to such a type of product in Ireland. Perhaps you can look for it in Tesco.

5. Carol’s products

When it comes to Ireland, some people think of Carol’s which is a souvenir chain shop. There are a lot around in Dublin.

If you want to buy some classic souvenirs like magnets, postcards, etc, go to Carol’s. They also sell garments and accessories.

In my case, before ending my exchange student life in Ireland, I bought a big Irish flag. I’ve still decorate it in my bedroom. 😂

If you have no idea what to buy for souvenirs, just go to Carol’s just because they have classic souvenirs. You can also ask for duty free there.

Except for the purchase when I lived there, I’ve never bought anything in Carol’s. I prefer something specific and local such as Barry’s tea. 😂

6. Pennys

Pennys is Irish Primark which is a fashion product chain shop that sells clothes, accessories, and housewares. I’m not sure about Primark in the UK, and yet Pennys in Ireland has products with “Irish designs”. The price is low, so maybe you can save more money than buying souvenirs in Carol’s? As an exchange student in Dublin, I bought T-shirts with the Irish flag or something like that for my brothers.

By the way, I still have a pair of socks from Pennys. 😂 (Purchased in 2016. 😂)

This time I didn’t buy anything in Pennys. Last time in 2019 I bought a knapsack, and I use it as a gym shoes bag even now (2022).

7. Butler’s

Butler’s is an Irish chocolate brand. When being the exchange student, I often saw many Japanese exchange students buying chocolate souvenirs there.

Me?

I didn’t buy any, of course.

This is because it was boring and too ordinary to choose chocolate as souvenirs, particularly from some brands, famous ones. I feel like giving local chocolate that we can get in supermarkets as the flavours are extraordinary. (I personally don’t choose anything ordinary for gifts because I want to see how the receivers react. 😂 Of course sometimes it’s ordinary. 😂) If you want to give basic souvenirs, Butler’s could be an option.

★Summary

From my point of view, Irish souvenirs are just for my self-satisfaction. However, hopefully this list could be some reference for those who want to travel to Irealnd. Perhaps my perspective is strange because I used to live there.

My personal strong recommendations are all of them except for number five and seven. If you are fond of something local or something that is probably not in normal souvenirs shops, get those products and/or go to Pennys!

Ah, I’m so glad to have bought Irish tea, and I’m so looking forward to enjoying a boring winter in Estonia with hBarry’s tea! 😂

Aitäh! 🙂