Top 10 Souvenirs From Ireland You'll Absolutely Love

The best souvenirs from Ireland transport you back to your time on the Emerald Isle. Whether it’s through taste, feel, or general vibes, the key is bringing back some of the luck of the Irish! These are my top 10 Irish souvenirs both for yourself, and that make great gifts for friends and family.

Psst! This blog post contains affiliate links in it which sends me a bit of extra money if you use them… at no extra cost to you!

Top 10 Souvenirs from Ireland

These are my top 10 souvenirs from Ireland that not only remind you of your trip, but are also useful back home! My Ireland souvenirs include tangible items, from clothes to books, and edible souvenirs like tea and chips!

P.S. See my tips for how to buy souvenirs you’ll never regret!

1. Something Made From Irish Sheeps’ Wool

Irish Wool is a very popular material to knit with because it will keep you warm in the harsh Irish weather. Plus, they have a lot of sheep in the country (even more than humans some years!). So a very popular, and useful Irish souvenir is something made out of wool.

The most popular items are either a sweater or a nice wool blanket. Unfortunately, these can also be very expensive and bulky to bring home. So when I visited on a student budget, in a carryon only, I opted for an Irish wool hat instead. You can also find other warm accessories like scarves, wool headbands, gloves, and more!

Where to shop: the most popular place to shop for Irish wool souvenirs is from the Aran Sweater Market. They have a large shop in the middle of Dublin, making it very convenient as well. I also liked their hats because they sold some with an extra polyester lining. This adds warmth, and takes away any itchiness you might have from the wool. They also ship worldwide so if you wanted to buy a bulkier wool item, you could always ship it directly to your house.

inside the aran sweater market. There's a sign on top that says: Made in Ireland. The are shelves and clothes racks with knitted wool sweaters for sale.

2. Irish Breakfast Tea & Accessories

Did you know that Ireland drinks more tea per capita than England!? In fact, Ireland is one of the leading countries in tea consumption per capita world wide! Tea in Ireland has become somewhat of a way of life, adding it in to their daily routines.

They don’t just drink any tea though, they have their own breakfast blend, Irish Breakfast Tea (and it’s not the same as English breakfast tea!). Irish Breakfast is often stronger than English Breakfast, with an maltier taste. So it’s a no brainer to pick up some Irish breakfast tea as a souvenir.

Irish breakfast tea is also a very easy Irish souvenir because it’s sold at every grocery store. You’ll want to pick up one of their leading brands, Lyons or Barrys (or both!). Or for a more upscale tea, you can also buy Bewley’s Irish breakfast (I was only able to find this for sale at the Beweley’s Cafe in Dublin).

Or for a few Irish teas to taste, Carrolls souvenir shops sells cute Irish tea tins with multiple tasting flavours. I also like the idea of buying tea in a tin because once you’ve finished the tea, you still have an Irish souvenir at home. I use my Bewley’s tea tin to hold my pencils on my desk, and my Irish tea tasting set as holders for fake plants!

You can also bring back a unique tea accessory as souvenirs from Ireland. Buy anything from tea cups, tea pots, a tea cozy, or something as simple as a strainer to use for loose leaf tea. Now every time you make a cuppa, you’ll think of your time in Ireland!

You might be interested in reading: What’s The Best Irish Breakfast Tea: Barry’s, Lyons, or Bewley’s?

two tea mugs and a tea pot covered in a tea cozy on a wood table by the window. The tea cozy looks like a little house. The mugs are Ireland themed, one is green with sheep on it. There are books on the desk blurred in the background and people outside sitting on the patio and walking by.

3. Claddagh Ring

A Claddagh Ring is a traditional Irish ring, but it’s not just for looks… The Claddagh Ring has a lot of meaning, and even function to wearing it.

If you look at every Claddagh ring, they all share three main components: hands, heart, and a crown. The heart symbolizes love, the hands are friendship, and the crown is for loyalty. But how you wear the ring also serves a purpose. It tells suitable bachelors what your relationship status is. So it’s kind of like tinder before any app was ever invented.

If you wear the heart facing outwards, it means you’re single and ready to mingle. If you wear the ring facing towards you, you’re in a committed relationship. And even though no one will know the function of the ring outside Ireland, it’s still a beautiful piece of jewellery.

Where to shop: Locals buy their Claddagh ring from Fallers. Although Fallers can have some of the most expensive rings, they also sell sterling silver options for a more reasonable price. Otherwise, Claddagh Jewellers is also a good option for finding your perfect Claddagh ring. They have a lot more options at even more reasonable prices.

seven unique claddagh rings sit on a purple and white marble stone. Even though all the rings are different, ranging from gold to silver, gems and no gems, they all share three main components: hands, crown, and heart.

4. Connemara Marble

Connemara Marble is from Connemara Ireland, in County Galway. It’s a rare gemstone that’s known for having a very unique green hue. Naturally, it’s also what gives the country part of their green pride.

You can find Connemara marble in anything you want, well almost. But you don’t have to bring back a slab of marble as an Irish souvenir, they’ve added it to useful items as well. For example, find it in a piece of jewellery, like a Claddagh Ring. Or buy Connemara marble coasters, Christmas ornaments, and even candle holders.

5. Guinness Memorabilia

I won’t lie, the Guinness really is just better in Ireland. Unfortunately, you can’t exactly bring the beer back with you (it’s also best on tap!). But you can bring Guinness Ireland souvenirs home to remember it by.

The best souvenir from Ireland is a classic Guinness pint glass. This is how they’re served in Ireland, so you’ll need one at home to even come close to the same experience. But you can find anything with Guinness branding on it in Ireland too, down to a tea bag plate (which I own and love!).

Where to shop: the best place to shop for Guinness memorabilia in Ireland is at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin at the official Guinness shop!

6. Irish Whiskey & Accessories

Irish Whiskey is just as much a thing as Scotch Whisky. In fact, locals like to consider it the original whiskey. If you want to bring a taste of Ireland home, you’ll want to look for an Irish Whiskey that you can’t buy back home.

The leading Irish whiskey brand is Jameson, but they sell a few whiskey’s that are only sold in Ireland. They even took it one step further and made a distillery only edition. This means, you can only buy this whiskey at their distillery in Dublin, avoiding any risk of ever finding it back home.

Otherwise, you’ll want to do your own research on what you can find in your home country. I saw a few whiskey’s that were marketed as “only sold in Ireland” just to find it at my local liquor store in Quebec. So you can’t always trust the advertisement.

You also don’t have to bring actual Irish whiskey, but instead pick up a whiskey accessories instead. Fro example, the Jameson Distillery sold unique prints, and other branded memorabilia for sale. But I especially liked the personalized engraved hip flask.

a close up of open boxes of Jamesons Irish whiskey tasters, there are four in each box, two green bottles and two clear showing the yellow whiskey colour.

7. Sheep Memorabilia

As I already said, Ireland has more sheep than people… usually having a minimum of one sheep per person in the country. So it’s only natural that you should pick up something that’s sheep themed for your souvenirs from Ireland.

This can be anything from a sheep print, sheep mug… I found adorable sheep keychain that was made with Irish sheeps’ wool from the Aran Sweater Market!

8. Book by an Irish Author (James Joyce or Oscar Wilde)

If you’re a literary buff and looking for what to buy in Ireland, look no further! Ireland was the birthplace and home to some of the most influential authors of the century: James Joyce and Oscar Wilde.

James Joyce is most known for writing Ulysses and Dubliners. I recommend buying a copy of Dubliners in Dublin. It’s a collection of 15 short stories depicting what life was really like in middle class Dublin in the 1900s.

Oscar Wilde is more known for writing poetry and plays, most notably, The Importance of Being Earnest. You can also buy his most famous novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Or if you want to learn more about a different side of Ireland, pick up a book of Irish Folklore. You’ll learn about Irish Faeries and changelings stories that are passed down from generation to teach different morals.

a table of the most popular books by oscar wilde, all in hard cover, there are two columns of each of them: the importance of being earnest, the happy prince and other stories, and The Picture of Dorian Gray

9. A Lucky Charm (An Emerald Shamrock)

The “Luck of the Irish” has become a popular modern phrase over the years. Although it used to be associated with success due to dumb luck, it now serves a more positive sentiment. So you want to be bring back some of the luck of the Irish with different good luck charms, like Leprechauns and Shamrocks.

The shamrock has become somewhat of the symbol of Ireland. It’s not a four leaf clover, but a three leaf clover instead that are found throughout the country. Bring home an Irish Shamrock in an artistic print or even a lucky charm necklace.

10. U2 Memorabilia

U2 hit the world by storm in 1976 and is now a world wide sensation. But did you know the band started in Dublin Ireland, where they’re from!? Their most popular songs are With or Without You, Beautiful Day, and One. And you’ve most likely heard of their lead singer, Bono.

Pick up a vintage CD or even Vinyl with their music, or just a T-shirt supporting the band! P.S. Even if you don’t own a record player, I’ve framed vinyls as pieces of art with a glass frame.

a black background with different U2 memorabilia laying on it. There's two CDs, guitar picks with the band name pins

Bonus! Tayto Crisps

Ireland is well known for the potato famine in 1845, when their potatoes were wrought with disease. But thankfully that isn’t the case anymore and since 1956, they have their own potato crisp company, Tayto.

If you’re looking for some food souvenirs from Ireland, Tayto potato crisps are a must! But not just any Tayto Crips, you have to get their most popular flavour: cheese and onion! And fun fact, they’re made in a castle (which you can tour!).

Need A Place To Stay in Ireland?

I’ve stayed in Dublin twice, at very different places each time and would honestly recommend both depending on your budget and type stay! For a budget friendly option in Dublin, I really enjoyed staying at The Abbey Court Hostel. You can’t beat the location on the River Liffey, it includes breakfast, and I absolutely loved the interior design with all the graffiti!

When I came back to Dublin with my partner, I stayed at the Zanzibar Locke Hotel. This was perfect for the stay we needed, with more apartment vibes equipped with a washing machine and kitchenette. Alternatively, see more hotel options in Dublin, Ireland.

If you’re visiting Galway, stay at the Harbour Hotel. I had an attic room with skylights for our windows making it really cozy and it was walking distance to the Galway city centre. P.S. Galway also is a good place to stay if you’re planning on visiting the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland. Or see more hotel options in Galway, Ireland.