Shopfront: The Cow's Lane Market in Temple Bar trundles on for the summer but with a few new stands added. We think Ciara Garvan, who operates under the name The Tea Rose Company, runs one of the best.
Garvan lived in Italy for many years and says,when she returned "I couldn't believe how expensive and uninspiring the home accessories for sale in Ireland were." While you might be sick to death of the French
Provençal/Tuscan look which you see everywhere from Brown Thomas to Avoca, Garvan buys her stock in France - and it's very different to anything sold elsewhere. That's possibly because it's the real thing: she buys in the street markets of Paris, bringing back small decorative items such as vases (like the one at right), picture frames and tea sets. It's all one-off and authentic - and one of the best places to find a small, quality, reasonably priced gift..
Cow's Lane Market, Cow's Lane (in the west end of Temple Bar) 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. every Saturday. Tel 086 8544504.