Waterford city has grown rapidly into the shopping centre for the south-east since the opening of its City Square Shopping Centre, with some 30 units, including Dunnes and Roche's Stores. The city - decidedly not town - is looking better than ever before, with elegant window displays in mainstream shops such as Fitzgerald's Menswear, Mulligan's pharmacy and Shaw's department store. And the improved Christmas lights, which were introduced last year and which this year include floodlighting of the bridge, bring a winter wonderland atmosphere to the compact shopping area.
Penny Lane in Michael Street, run by Anne and Mary Blount and formerly an antique clothes emporium, is now a craft shop with unusual black pottery from Colombia - large oven dishes at £35, covered smaller oval dishes at £29 - African carved wood pieces, including a five-foot handpainted tiger-pole for £99 and clothes from India, Indonesia and China. Kavanagh's, the electrical and lighting people, have shops in O'Connell Street and Michael Street and ranges include Merry Christmas electronic "holiday glow" lights, varying in price from £39.95 to £95 and battery-operated clocks for toddlers from £2.95.
At the River Gallery in Patrick Street, owner Mary Counihan stocks leading pottery such as Shanagarry, and features local craft workers and artists alongside national names. There are lamps and Chinese lanterns from Michael Kennedy of Sligo (prices up to £104); fruit stands and platters (£33 and £48, respectively) from Just Ceramics in Kildare, pressed flower paintings by David Rossi in Waterford, batiks from Gifted Hand in Nenagh, lovely oil paintings of flowers and local scenes by Pat Walsh of Dundalk. Paddy Counihan, Mary's brother, has a selection of slate framed mirrors from £55 and a slate clock at £65.
Penrose Crystal has its workshops in John Street, with a shop at one entrance to the City Square Shopping Centre. Father and son John and Diarmuid Coughlin make a range of glassware, from the familiar Penrose design (coloured stem wine glasses at £25 for six) to an impressive, recently-introduced range of cut-crystal glasses at £48 for sets of six wine, whiskey and brandy glasses.
Medium, at another main entrance to City Square, is a cornucopia of gifts. Wooden ducks, cockerels and other farmyard occupants range in price from £2.95 to £29.95, teddy bears start at £1.50 and go up to £25. There's Nicholas Mosse pottery, handpainted wooden mirrors (these at £136), painted wooden bookends at £8.95, silver-plated picture frames at £6.95, planters from £11.95 and huge white turkey plates, ideal for Christmas, at £7.95.
The World Development Centre in O'Connell Street sells a range of gifts and items, mainly from Third World countries. The Dresser, a short step away in George's Street, was opened just two years ago by Anne Scully. It's a dinky little shop, with probably the biggest range of candles in Waterford in a range of colours (from gold and silver to primary) and shapes - tall, round, squat . . . Again, Anne encourages craft workers from the south-east region, among them the Dolls' House and Rocking Horse Maker near Enniscorthy, which produces wonderful dolls' houses, four storeys high, for £160 - optional extras are a complete set of furniture from the same company for £75.
Fred's platters range in price from £40 upwards, with lamps, one of his specialties, from £50 to £110. Upstairs, there's a new furniture department, but this is not your usual department-store stuff - there are wrought-iron tables (and nests) by Padraig O Murchu of Wicklow from £140 to £330; mahogany, Queen-Anne-style footstools in needlepoint at £72 and small-scale pine dressers from £136
Parking: is available at the South Quays, City Square, the Tanyward and Miller's Marsh (off Johnstown).
Lunchstop: The Wine Vault in High Street is a posh pit stop in the heart of the shopping area. There's a set three-course lunch menu at £14.50, but you can pick anything (such as a pate starter) from the a la carte.
Hinterland Hints: At Waterford Woodcraft at Dunabrattin (Boatstrand), about 10 miles from the city, Bruce and Heather McDonald produce a wide range of wooden items from small boxes to large platters, bowls and lamps in a variety of woods including yew, beech and elm.
