Shopping in Northern Ireland

Our man in Havana

He is a TD for Louth. Vested interests there you see.

tallaghtfornia

I went up to ASDA in enniskillen last tuesday and I have to say I will be going up once a month for my "Big Shop" Will just buy the essential's down here bread milk the usual - I reckon I saved myself €200 on beer and grocerys loads of 2 for one offers in ASDA.

The Irish Govt must be loosing a fortune in revenue the amount of Southern reg cars was mad - even seen a few C reg cars!!!

TarfHead

tallaghtfornia wrote: »

.. the amount of Southern reg cars was mad - even seen a few C reg cars!!!

With just 6 counties in Munster and, I think, 8 car registration codes, there is a good chance of seeing 'C' registrations among the cars from the south of Ireland !

twenty8

Wertz wrote: »

Newry's bypass is fine on weekday mornings offpeak...but to get to that part of the journey you have to go through the bottleneck at the end of the M1 and get past the r'about there...the real problems with Newry's traffic start after that r'about on the hill down into the south of the town.
This map has the trouble area outlined in red, and your route in blue (after you get through the small red part)



There are roadworks on the bypass (blue bit) but these aren't too bad if traffic isn't too heavy. You may get held up at the five ways (B&Q) with traffic volumes too...but again it's not like the hill down into the town where all the real snarl ups happen...

[edit] Oops...on that map I have the Belfast route marked wrongly...instead of that exit off the r'about you take the next one. It's all well signed anyhow...

Thanks for all the advice!! Van is hired and ready ready to hit the road in the morning!! Bringing pregnant wife (4 weeks to go) - hope she doesn't get too excited and we have to find a hospital!!!!!

derek2222_ie

anybody got any idea where the best place up north to get a PSP would be

cheers

kleefarr

Our Sprucefield experience yesterday..

Left Kilkenny 5:45AM and got to Sprucefield at 8:45AM. Very easy to find without a map or Sat Nav, from the M50 it was straight up the M1/A1. Traffic was always moving but slowed around Newry. We went straight into Macdonalds to have breakfast. Exchange rate there was 79p to the €1, not great but we were hungry. After Macdonalds we went into Boots were my wife bought some mascara which she says was a bit cheaper than down here. Next was M&S where we used the change we got in MacDonalds to buy granddad a nice new set of pyjamas for £19.99 and we're sure they would have been a little more down here.
Onto the main shopping area Sainsburys, exchange rate .897 to €1 . We took two trolleys in and pretty much filled them with drink and a few food items like bags of crisps and cakes etc. After factoring in the €40 petrol and about €10 in tolls, we estimated that we saved close to 35% against prices down here.

I'll definitely be going again.

Bluetonic

twenty8 wrote: »

Bringing pregnant wife (4 weeks to go) - hope she doesn't get too excited and we have to find a hospital!!!!!

Though there'd be even more savings if you did, British and Irish passport for your offspring

Our man in Havana

Bluetonic wrote: »

Though there'd be even more savings if you did, British and Irish passport for your offspring

Daisy Hill in Newry ftw!

Tipsy Mac

This thread has over 103,000 views, pretty amazing amount of people interested in it

My tip for shopping up North is bring plenty Euro cash with you and a credit card, ask the retailer about the rate and if the rate is over 85p pay in cash, if less pay with credit card. Bring plenty of €5 and €10 notes so as to get as close to the balance as possible to avoid getting lots of sterling currency back, Sainsburys were doing 90p to the € last week, on my credit card with the commision and bad rate I would be lucky to get 84p.

Our man in Havana

kleefarr wrote: »

Our Sprucefield experience yesterday..

Left Kilkenny 5:45AM and got to Sprucefield at 8:45AM. Very easy to find without a map or Sat Nav, from the M50 it was straight up the M1/A1. Traffic was always moving but slowed around Newry. We went straight into Macdonalds to have breakfast. Exchange rate there was 79p to the €1, not great but we were hungry. After Macdonalds we went into Boots were my wife bought some mascara which she says was a bit cheaper than down here. Next was M&S where we used the change we got in MacDonalds to buy granddad a nice new set of pyjamas for £19.99 and we're sure they would have been a little more down here.
Onto the main shopping area Sainsburys, exchange rate .897 to €1 . We took two trolleys in and pretty much filled them with drink and a few food items like bags of crisps and cakes etc. After factoring in the €40 petrol and about €10 in tolls, we estimated that we saved close to 35% against prices down here.

I'll definitely be going again.

Well done.

Racket

Not long back from Enniskillen, was crazy stuff, most of the frozen food in Asda was gone with the amount of southerners up there bulk buying (cant complain, we do it ourselves) so we headed over to Tesco and got another full trolley over there.

Spent about £360 in the end, well happy with everything we got. Boot and backseat were full, and contrary to health and safety fears, we were able to keep our front wheels on the ground too with the heavy cargo!

DonJose

Tipsy Mac wrote: »

This thread has over 103,000 views, pretty amazing amount of people interested in it

Guess this thread needs its own dedicated forum If you would like to see a dedicated Northern Ireland Bargains Alert then please click the link below and show your support

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055429431

DublinWriter

Arciphel wrote: »

Finance Minister Brian Lenihan said that while he had not called on people to do their patriotic duty by shopping at home, he had said that if they shopped locally, they would be assisting the exchequer.
He said that he had commissioned a study by the Central Statistics Office to discover just how much revenue was being lost due to cross-border shopping.

Oh yes. Don't you just love it?

Maybe Lenihan can't oust Martin as the Minister for Commissioning shelved-unread reports?

Just how much will this cost us taxpayers?

Here's a clue - millions. Probably at least the 12-million that it would have cost to fund the HSE's shelved cervical cancer vaccine scheme.

Meanwhile they want us to vote Yes on Lisbon II?....the cornerstone of which being the free movement of good and services in Europe.

You know what Brian? Kiss the €500 goodbye that I'll be spending in Newry this Saturday. Here it is, in ten crispy €50 notes I withdrew from an ATM on a lawless Dublin street last night.

Maybe your party leader should get back on that lorry and sing us another few come-all-ye's. It would be more entertaining than FF's economic policy right now.

Personally I think it's time to usher out the era of Civil War politics and comfy Dail seats inherited from Daddy.

5500

I went up this morning,Left south dublin for 11 arrived in the quays for about 12.15.The only traffic i came across was a few cars at the main roundabout into newry.

There were no spaces in the carpark and roadrage was evident!Luckily there were a few of us in the car so some could head into sainsburys and leave one to do laps for a parking space!

Sainsburys wasnt busy at all,max of 1 trolley per till and everything well stocked,they were giving 90.5 to a euro today.

Some of the bargains on drink were 24cans of magners for £24,and 3 box's of bottles for £20 (miller,stella,carlsberg,strongbow all 18 bottles except for miller which was 15)

One definite thing thats been mentioned before is how friendly the staff are in shops,they'l go out of there way to help/show/explain something to you in comparison to some of the grumps you get when you look for assitance down here.

muincav

I was in a branch of Woolworths today and have to say there was nothing but rubbish (no change there then...lol) and people grabbing everything in sight (that was for sale) thinking they were getting 50% off marked price,,BUT,, most of the goods only had 10% off and some had 20%, 30%, 40% and a small quantity with 50% off. The shelves with the 50% off were stripped bare and people were queing up for ages and then arguing with the sale assistant that they were not getting enough discount at the till...was terrible...try to avoid Woolworths if you can..
On another note I spotted a local business person from where I live (CAVAN) in at least 5 shops today, but yet these are the same people telling me and you to shop local....pots and kettles me thinks.:mad:

the groutch

Those people should be disgusted, hurling abuse at these staff who are likely to lose their jobs in a matter of weeks, all over a few quid off their shopping

breaux

Planning to head up to Enniskillen on Monday morning - hopefully will be quiet enough. Just want to know what the general concensus is in relation to paying. Is it better to change your euro here before you go up or do ye just pay by euro at the till and does that seem to be the more cost effective way of doing it. Thanks for any replies.

Esel

If Lenihan has the CSO looking at the loss to the Exchequer, he might well decide to do a Revenue crackdown to enforce the limits on duty-paid alcohol (beer, wine, spirits). That would hurt!

faolteam

hi :pac:weres best place to park in newrym going to the buttercrane or the quays ??????

tregan

hi breaux

don't think there is any advantage to changing your money as some places that are doing pound for euro will give you sterling change if you use your euro notes? also do you have a CC, this can be v handy

re car parking .... we went through the forkhill roundabout, didn't take the right turn advised in the diversions signs but took the next right and you end up passing the buttercrane centre so you could park there and do the butter crane and then walk over to the quays?

happy shopping

DonJose

€1 = £0.892, it must be Christmas

alastair

sunnyrain wrote: »

I went to Newry with my Mum and sister last week and it was really good. The Quays was fab, Debenhams had so many special offers on that they dont do here in Dublin - got loads of xmas pressies at knock down prices. Also went across the road to the Buttercrane Centre - TopMan - my teenage son loves this shop and with the currency rate, i managed to buy tops, jeans and shoes for him and it worked out about buy 2 get third free!!!! we are so ripped off in dublin. what made it really good as well, we decided to stay over on the way back and stopped off in a fab guesthouse, it's only newly opened and we really loved it. great value too - only cost us 39.00 for the room for the night and we got to enjoy our stay comparing our bargains and next morning enjoyed a fab brekkie. reevesandmortimer.com i think it was, either way - enjoy shopping and would really recommend the stay over too xx

Now this doesn't seem like spam at all, 'cause what you want to do after a shopping trip to Newry is stop off in Dundalk and choose to pay for a B&B for the family rather than just drive the 60-90 minutes home to Dublin.

not yet

Brought my 16yr daughter to newry on monday morning....yes monday morning, so listen up people.

1hour to get into newry from the outskirts ( 500mtrs) 1 hour to get parking(sweet jesus what a nightmare).

The shops : Nothing much,mostly crap put up on shelves. both centres look like a version of northside shopping centre......

Some shops will give euro for sterling,but these are micky mouse junk shops. the bigger shops will give you 80p sterling for 1 euro...what a joke.

My opinion is if you check where the sales are down here (20% most big stores) it is at least the same value, with no headaches.

Food and drink on the otherhand are good value.

C.O.Y.B.I.B

Went up to belfast yesterday . 1hr 40 from Swords till parking in Castlecourt . A lot of shops doing 20% off similar to here , also giving VAT discount at tills . Left Swords 9.30am and there was no traffic even at Newry Roundabout . Stopped in ASDA for the great 3 for £10 wine (some were over £8 on their own). Did mail shop in Sainsburys (beer 3 for £20) , Ben and Jerrys £1.96 and the usual good value , also Marks and Spencer meal deals at £10 each are now cheaper than here too.Minor Delays through Newry on the way home 6.30ish , took 1hr 30 from Srpucefield to Swords. All in all well worth it.

DonJose

sunnyrain wrote: »

I went to Newry with my Mum and sister last week and it was really good. The Quays was fab, Debenhams had so many special offers on that they dont do here in Dublin - got loads of xmas pressies at knock down prices. Also went across the road to the Buttercrane Centre - TopMan - my teenage son loves this shop and with the currency rate, i managed to buy tops, jeans and shoes for him and it worked out about buy 2 get third free!!!! we are so ripped off in dublin. what made it really good as well, we decided to stay over on the way back and stopped off in a fab guesthouse, it's only newly opened and we really loved it. great value too - only cost us 39.00 for the room for the night and we got to enjoy our stay comparing our bargains and next morning enjoyed a fab brekkie. ***********.com i think it was, either way - enjoy shopping and would really recommend the stay over too xx

You wouldn't happen to have a connection to the FAB b&b, post reported

alastair wrote: »

Now this doesn't seem like spam at all, 'cause what you want to do after a shopping trip to Newry is stop off in Dundalk and choose to pay for a B&B for the family rather than just drive the 60-90 minutes home to Dublin.

You should edit out the b&b address

lynchie

esel wrote: »

If Lenihan has the CSO looking at the loss to the Exchequer, he might well decide to do a Revenue crackdown to enforce the limits on duty-paid alcohol (beer, wine, spirits). That would hurt!

Never gonna happen. There are no limits. There are guideline amounts at which an individual can bring in alcohol without being made to demonstrate that it is for personal use, e.g. you can bring in 110L beer / 3200 cigarettes no problem, after that you may be asked to prove its for personal use and not for commercial selling.

jenno86

DonJose wrote: »

€1 = £0.892, it must be Christmas

Must be, thats unreal!:eek:

sassa

if you go to the sainsburys site it lists all the offers they have on. it's worth popping to argos in the north for christmas presents too saved over €60 on 3 kids presents by going to argos in enniskillen (it's nearer for me) will be going back to get the rest, will have saved about €150 in total! i know asda and tesco do usually have good offers on drink 1ltr bottles of baileys, smirnoff, southern comfort are £13 a bottle and tesco have 2 70cl bottles of jack daniels for £25 (roughly about €30 for the 2)
also try http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk it lists the best offers for tesco, asda & sainsburys.

sassa

breaux wrote: »

Planning to head up to Enniskillen on Monday morning - hopefully will be quiet enough. Just want to know what the general concensus is in relation to paying. Is it better to change your euro here before you go up or do ye just pay by euro at the till and does that seem to be the more cost effective way of doing it. Thanks for any replies.

you're just as well off to pay in euro the exchange is roughly same as what banks are offering anyway also they give your change back in sterling or in asda you can get a card at the till to add your change onto for your next trip.

DBK

My bro just bought a ps3 in Game. He got the 80gb, a HDMI cable and 4 games - Lost, Little Big Planet, Fallout 3 and Resistance 2 all for 305 sterling... I'm still in shock.