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Best supermarkets in Ireland: Where to go grocery shopping?
Check out this guide to the best supermarkets in Ireland where you can shop at the best prices during your stay in this country.
If you’re planning a trip to this country soon, for tourism or a long stay, you’ll need shopping options. That’s why, in this article, we’ll talk about the best supermarkets in Ireland. They range from small local shops and supermarkets to street markets and convenience stores with longer opening hours.
It’ll depend on the type of shopping you need whether one kind of shop suits you better than another. To make things clearer, we’ll explain the main kinds of places you’ll find in this country. We’ll also cover their opening hours, typical products and usual price levels. We’ll also give you information about other types of shops where you can buy different everyday items. So, grab your trolley, because we’re going shopping in Ireland!
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What kinds of shops are there in Ireland?
This destination welcomes many tourists every year, as well as exchange students and resident digital nomads. Whatever your situation, all these travellers share one thing: They need to buy food and fill their cupboards. Given the high cost of living in this country, it’s vital to understand the different supermarkets in Ireland. You can then spot the best offers and really stretch your budget. These are the most common kinds of shop you’ll find:
- Supermarkets: Such as Tesco or Dunnes Stores, medium sized and present in almost every neighbourhood. They offer good value for money and a wide range of national and international brands.
- Convenience stores: These small shops usually open for many hours a day. They sit in central or residential areas, such as Centra, Spar or Londis. Although prices are higher, they’re worth it for urgent top-up shops.
- Discount supermarkets: These low-cost supermarkets offer competitive prices, such as Lidl and Aldi. They sell their own private-label ranges, which reduce costs, and they run many deals and promotions.
- Neighbourhood shops: Families usually run these, and they sell basic products such as fruit, vegetables and bread. Here, service feels more personal and friendly, although prices sit slightly higher than in supermarkets.
- Markets: To buy fresh, organic and artisanal products from local producers, it’s best to visit a local market. You’ll find them in cities such as Dublin, Cork or Galway.
The 5 most notable supermarkets in Ireland
Next, we invite you to discover what we consider the five best supermarkets in Ireland. For this, we’ve chosen some mid-sized stores you can find in many neighbourhoods in the main cities. We’ve also included discount chains, a market with local products and a very popular convenience store.
1. Dunnes Stores
The first supermarket in Ireland we want to highlight is this local chain. It has had a strong presence nationwide for 80 years and now runs around 133 stores across different counties. Here, you can buy food, clothing and homeware. Opening hours usually run from about 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM, depending on the city.
At Dunnes you’ll find fresh food such as fruit, vegetables, meat, fish and dairy. They also stock frozen goods, dried products, own-brand ranges and premium items at these prices:
- 6 red apples: $3.50 (€3.00)
- Chicken breast (440 g): $6.87 (€5.89)
- Sliced bread (800 g): $2.32 (€1.99)
- Bottle of water (2 L): $0.30 (€0.26)
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Affordable own-brand ranges | Slightly higher prices than other supermarkets such as Lidl |
| Loyalty programme (Clubcard) | Less presence in rural areas |
| Wide variety of store formats | Often feels very busy |
Advantages and disadvantages of Dunnes Stores.
2. Tesco Ireland
Tesco Ireland is the Irish branch of the British chain Tesco. It has offered quality products at affordable prices in Ireland since 1997. It now has 185 supermarkets in Ireland with different formats. These include Tesco Extra (large hypermarkets), Tesco Metro (medium-sized stores) and Tesco Express (small convenience shops). General opening hours usually run from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM, Monday to Sunday, depending on the location.
In these stores you can do your weekly shop at a good price. You can choose their own-brand ranges or many international brands. Here’s an example:
- Milk (1 L): $2.57 (€2.19)
- Baguette bread (3 loaves): $1.75 (€1.49)
- Eggs (6 units): $2.45 (€2.09)
- Chicken breast (285 g): $4.52 (€3.85)
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Affordable own-brand ranges | Slightly higher prices than other supermarkets such as Lidl |
| Loyalty programme (Clubcard) | Less presence in rural areas |
| Wide variety of store formats | Often feels very busy |
Advantages and disadvantages of Tesco.
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3. Aldi Ireland
Although it has German origins, Aldi is one of the most popular supermarkets in Ireland. People choose it for big discounts, low prices, own-brand ranges and weekly offers. You can visit one of its 160 stores across the country. They’re usually open from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM, Monday to Saturday, with shorter hours on Sundays.
For a big weekly or monthly shop, this is one of the best places to go. You’ll really feel the difference in your wallet. For example, you can buy tomatoes from €0.49 ($0.57) for a 250 g tray. You can get two salmon fillets for €3.99 ($4.65). A 454 g tray of minced beef costs around €5.49 ($6.40).
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Low prices for basic products | Less variety in well-known brands |
| Affordable own-brand ranges | Weekly offers often sell out quickly |
| Plenty of weekly deals | Often very busy |
Advantages and disadvantages of Aldi.
4. English Market in Cork
If you want fresh products from local producers, it’s better to visit the main city markets. One of the best known is the English Market, in the centre of Cork. It’s one of the oldest covered markets in Europe, founded in 1788. Opening hours run from 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM, Monday to Saturday.
In this market you’ll find meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, artisanal cheeses, bread, organic products, baked goods and delicatessen items. For example, a pack of mackerel fillets costs about €7.00 ($8.16), vegetables are around €2.50 ($2.90) per kilo and a dozen eggs costs about €4.40 ($5.13).
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Fresh, local products | Very crowded at weekends |
| Central Location | Products often more expensive than in supermarkets |
| Place full of Irish tradition | Closed on Sundays |
Advantages and disadvantages of the English Market.
5. Centra
This Irish chain has more than 490 convenience stores across the country. You’ll see them in cities such as Dublin, Cork, Galway or Limerick. An Irish family business founded the brand in 1960 with a clear aim to offer customers a faster alternative to supermarkets in Ireland. Stores usually sit in residential areas, service stations and city centres. They offer long hours, from 7:00 AM to 12:00 PM or, in some shops, even 24 hours.
We recommend these shops for emergency top-ups only, because their prices are higher than in some supermarkets. For example, a two-litre carton of milk costs about €1.40 ($1.63), half a dozen eggs cost around €2.15 ($2.51) and a loaf of bread costs about €1.80 ($2.10).
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Long opening hours | Less stock than in large stores |
| Central locations | Higher prices |
| Personalised attention | Less comfortable shopping when it’s crowded because of limited space. |
Advantages and disadvantages of Centra.
Other notable shops and stores in Ireland
Once you’ve discovered the best supermarkets in Ireland, it’s time to think about other shopping, you may need many different items for your new life in this country. Here we present three specialist stores for appliances, technology, furniture and fashion. With them, you can buy everything you need while you live here.
Did Electrical, appliances and technology
Did Electrical counts as one of the best-known electronics and appliance stores. It has 23 shops across Ireland, plus a website where you can shop online. The company opened its first store in Dublin in 1968. Since then, it has become a store that offers expert advice and quality products.
Here you can buy large and small appliances, plus plenty of tech. For example, a microwave can cost around €75 ($87) and you can find laptops from about €450 ($524). General opening hours are from 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM, Monday to Saturday, with reduced hours on Sundays.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Guarantees and installation services | Higher prices outside promotional offers |
| Well-known local brand within the sector | Limited evening opening hours |
| Online shopping available |
Advantages and disadvantages of Did Electrical.
JYSK, furniture and decoration
To furnish your new home in Ireland, you can visit this Danish chain, it has around 17 stores in Ireland, in places such as Athlone, Dundalk, Naas, Drogheda, Dublin, Youghal or Navan. It specialises in furniture, mattresses, homeware and decoration, with mid-range prices and decent quality. For example, you can find a 135×190 cm sprung mattress from about €135 ($157). Opening hours usually run from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Monday to Sunday.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Good value for money | Delivery comes with an extra cost |
| Modern designs | Stock can be limited |
| Good national coverage | Not as cheap as other well-known chains such as Ikea |
Advantages and disadvantages of JYSK.
Penneys, affordable fashion
You probably know the Primark stores in other countries; in Ireland, the brand goes by the name Penneys. The company opened its first store in Dublin in 1969. You can now find around 38 shops across the country, in cities such as Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. One of the biggest and best-known stores stands in central Dublin, on O’Connell Street. It usually opens from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM, Monday to Sunday.
This kind of budget store is perfect for making a big clothes shop for little money, as you can find T-shirts from €3.00 ($3.50), jeans for €14 ($16) or coats from €22 ($25).
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Very affordable prices | Average quality materials |
| On-trend designs | Very busy stores |
| Fashion for the whole family | Store often looks messy during peak hours |
Advantages and disadvantages of Penneys.
Frequently asked questions about the best supermarkets in Ireland
Supermarket chains in Ireland such as Aldi and Lidl are the cheapest, thanks to their own-brand ranges. Their prices usually sit below other stores such as Tesco.
Tesco currently has 185 supermarkets in Ireland, so it counts as the most widespread chain in the country.
They usually open from around 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM, Monday to Saturday, with shorter hours on Sundays. Some stores, such as Centra, can stay open until midnight or even 24 hours.
You find the best fresh, local products in central or street markets, such as the English Market in Cork or the Galway Market.
Yes, almost all of them accept international cards, although some small neighbourhood shops or local markets prefer cash.
