Grocery Shopping
It's best to take a backpack with you to the grocery store in which to carry your purchases home. However, most stores deliver if you do your shopping before 1pm (ask at the customer services desk for further information). Try to avoid buying too much; you can hit all new levels of pain as the plastic handles of the grocery bag cut off all circulation in your fingers on your walk back. It is also possible to shop on-line and get it delivered for a small fee - ask at the grocery store for further details.
You will be charged .15c for every plastic bag you need for carrying your shopping. You can buy sturdy reusable bags for Û1. Recycle and bring your own.
Also, you will be expected to weigh your own produce before you get to the register and to bag your own groceries at check out.
Grocery Stores
CITY CENTRE
Dunnes Stores: located at the south end of Grafton Street in St.Stephen's Green Shopping Centre (grocery store is located on lower level) - for Û1 they'll deliver your groceries to your flat in the afternoon (must finish shopping before 1pm).
Marks and Spencer: near Henry Street and on Grafton Street; gourmet food; ready to eat meals; more pricey than Dunnes but saves you the hassle of actually preparing meals yourself.
Tesco: Jervis Street Mall; off Henry Street; quite a walk from Trinity if you have lots of groceries
Fruit and Vegetable Market: Moore Street; off Henry Street; great for buying fruits and vegetables in bulk; the ladies who run the stands are quite amusing.
RATHMINES
Dunnes: located in the back of the Swan Shopping Center on Rathmines Rd.
Tesco: located on the Southern end of Rathmines Rd.
General Note On Shopping/Cooking In Dublin
Please keep in mind that you will be shopping in Ireland, not America, and therefore things may be a little different; Irish stores do, however, carry a lot of American brands. The SPAR located in Donnybrook has a fairly good selection of American foods.
Be prepared to convert to the metric system and from Farenheit to Celsius.
A "hob" is a stovetop.
Housewares
Roches: On Henry Street, behind GPO; great for everything
Dunnes: St. Stephen's Green Shopping Centre; bedding, towels, some kitchenware
TK MAXX: St.Stephen's Green Shopping Centre; like T.J. Maxx in the United States - a little bit of everything
Stationery Supplies
Read's of Nassau Street: supplies are located in the basement of the shop
Eason's: located on Nassau Street and also on O'Connell Street
TCD Student Union Shop: in Front Square
Kavanaugh's: on Camden Street
Laundry Services
Grafton Cleaners: 32 South William Street, just behind Mercer Court; Ph: 679 4309