The Gift Shops That Just Keep On Giving

Isobel & Alison Church Road THURS17JULY25

t’s a time when your local shops need your loyalty and love more than ever, and our annual Top Of The Shops competition is one way to step up.

Celebrating both the shops and those standing tall behind the counter, the good people of Greystones know that supporting local is the best way to keep your town healthy and happy.

Rather than letting it slip into a Jeff Bezos wasteland of discount supermarkets on the edge of town and every shop in the heart of town eventually becoming our latest coffee shop.

Some change is inevitable, of course, but the speed at which shops can come and go has increased dramatically in recent years. So, be thankful for what you’ve got.

And make sure, whenever possible, that your first port of call when buying anything – from holidays or haircuts to champagne, chorizo, candles, cupcakes or cough syrup – is a local shop.

You can also show your support by, as we said, voting for your favourite emporium around here, something Greystonians have been doing for seven years now.

Launching in 2018, winners of our coveted Top Of The Shops gong include the bould Katie Bradshaw at Insomnia, the ever-helpful, always-happy Paul Condren at SuperValu, plus your friendly neighbourhood drug dealers, David Dodd and three-time retiree champ, Fiona Roche (crowned in 2021, 2022 and alongside the Dodd fella, 2023). Last year, it was Vicky and her little wooden toy shop, Dlulukaloo, who proved to be a worthy and extremely delighted winner.  

And this year, as you may have guessed from the main pictures, the headline and the subhead, the Top Of The Shops 2025 title is being shared by two stalwarts of the town – Alison Banton and the gang at Brooke & Shoals alongside Isobel O’Donnell at Lorient Gift.

“We are thrilled to be acknowledged by our customers like this,” says Alison. “For 21 years my wonderful staff have worked hard to ensure all our Greystones customers find gorgeous gifts and fabulous home fragrance products when they visit us at Brooke & Shoals. Thank you to all our customers for their support since we opened and to my amazing staff for all their hard work”.

“For me, it’s always been about the customers,” says Isobel of Lorient’s win. “I feel like I’m welcoming guests into my house, a house that happens to be filled with curiosities, paintings, ornaments, handbags and anything else I find out there in the world that’s quirky and cool.

“So, for those people to turn around and gift us this award, that should keep me smiling for the year ahead, at least…”

Big, big thank you, as always, to Niamh and the gang at AIB Greystones for once again sponsoring this annual competition.

You can check out previous Top Of The Shops winners here, go explore our A-Z of Greystones shops, cafes and beyond right about here.