Forrest Gump famously said that life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you are going to get. It’s the most perfect metaphor for vintage shops, where items can range from luxurious furs to hardy leather jackets, to bespoke ball gowns and flamboyant Hawaiian shirts.
Almost as diverse and unusual as the stock itself are the people behind Ireland’s second-hand stores. Whether they are multigenerational family endeavours, or first-time businesses, vintage shops are always passion projects, as Caroline Quinn from Dirty Fabulous in Co Monaghan tells us.
Vintage goes against the grain in a world where everything is mass produced, throwaway and samey; by virtue of its longevity, it is almost always well-made, passed on and unique. And sure, you can go on sites like Vinted or Depop and buy preloved items at the click of a button, but nothing beats a browse of the rails in real life.
Here, we meet the one-of-a-kind people stocking one-of-a-kind finds in some of Ireland’s favourite emporiums of second-hand style.
Sister VintageKinsale, Co Cork
Vintage is enjoying a revival among younger customers, says Eve Russell, owner of Sister Vintage, Kinsale, Co Cork
Eve Russell, a reformed high street shopaholic, is the owner of Sister Vintage, a blush pink boutique in the heart of the tourist town of Kinsale.
Sister Vintage stocks all manner of 1970s style treasures; current stock includes a patchwork suede skirt (€60), a bohemian floral maxi skirt (€68) and an Austrian wool waistcoat (€36.80), all sourced from a handful of trusted Italian suppliers.
Russell’s mission is to offer “vintage that is curated, clean and in great nick that can fit into a modern wardrobe”, but she has not always shopped with this ethos in mind herself.
“Zara had their hooks in me,” she says, laughing. “The more I got interested in the environment and not buying plastic, using a reusable coffee cup and buying loose tomatoes, the more I realised I was making all this effort but I was going into Zara straight afterwards, and buying a plastic jumper, and then putting it through the wash. As soon as I realised, I just didn’t go back.”
Eve Russell, owner of Sister Vintage, Kinsale, Co Cork
Now she looks at what is being sold in high street stores with horror. “I went into Mango the other day just to see what it’s like. I couldn’t find a single cotton thing, not a single wool garment. There was no substance to the clothes on the hangers. I couldn’t believe it.”
Russell was working in a PR and marketing job post-pandemic when she started selling second-hand clothing at markets.
“I loved watching people walk away with a one-off piece that they fell in love with, and the community of the market sellers and slow fashion sellers.”
She began looking for a permanent premises in Kinsale in July 2023. “I certainly do believe in manifestation, where you make things happen for yourself. I didn’t know what I was doing, but I was telling people I was going to open up a vintage shop.”
Shortly after, a friend invested in Russell’s vision and by the end of that month she had signed a lease.
“I didn’t have time to second guess myself. Me and my friends did everything to the shop ourselves. We painted it, and sourced everything for it; all the furniture and decor. I had to go on a buying trip to Naples because I had no stock. It was bonkers.”
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Opening that October, the Dubliner wanted to create a space for people living in Kinsale in their 20s and 30s who are in a “minority”. “There’s nothing for them, because a lot of the town is based around tourists,” she says. “I was thinking, if I had a shop, I could also use it for other things for locals my age. Since then we have had yoga classes and DJ sets. And people came out of the woodwork, ‘like where did all these 30-year-olds in Kinsale come from?’”
Vintage is enjoying a revival among younger customers, she says. “Young people see something being vintage as a covetable characteristic. They find that more attractive. It’s cooler to find something unique.” – NB
Sister Vintage, The Glen, Kinsale, Co Cork sistervintage.com
No 38 DunvilleDublin 6
Armelle Mitchell of No 38 Dunville, Ranelagh in Dublin. Photograph: Paul McCarthy
No 38 on Dunville Avenue in Ranelagh had previous commercial lives as a furniture shop, a Tatty Devine jewellery shop, and a shoe repair shop. For the last 13 years, it has been a high-end consignment clothing shop, run by Armelle Mitchell.
“I passed this unit so often, and I loved it because it was so small,” says Mitchell. “I thought I could manage something of this size: I could get into business but without huge financing.”
With a lifetime interest in fashion and interiors, Mitchell was seeking a return to the workplace after raising a young family. “Thirteen years ago, some people thought consignment shops selling preloved fashion were unusual. I never thought it was. Since then, there has been a big move towards circular economy; it’s perceived as the right way to do things.”
‘There has been a big move towards circular economy; it’s perceived as the right way to do things,’ says Armelle Mitchell. Photograph: Paul McCarthy
The space at No 38 is indeed small, composed of a glass counter space, and just two rails with bags and footwear displayed overhead, but it is beautifully curated. Browsing feels like shopping in a high-end boutique, but with lower priced stock.
A random search of the rails on the day I visit turns up a Self Portrait sequinned black trench coat for €210, and a Simone Rocha white frilled shirt for €180, each in pristine condition. Neither are for me, but I had made a previous purchase of a dark blue featherlight cashmere Isabel Marant stole, made in Japan, for €45.
Where does she get her pieces from? “Individual consignors who are members of the public, and I buy independently when I can. Most of my pieces are contemporary designs and only a couple of years old. I also use wholesale resellers in Europe and Japan.”
How would Mitchell describe her own fashion sense? “It hasn’t changed that much since I was 21. Classic with a twist. I’m a sucker for a velvet suit. I like masculine tailoring, with a beautiful silk blouse. I love black. The one thing that will refresh any wardrobe is a lovely top. You need a roll call of tops.”
Consignment shops like Mitchell’s are still comparatively unusual in Ireland. Why is that?
“I don’t know,” she says. “Is it getting harder to find a unit? I think also we have bought into an online version of life, and are not supporting small businesses in the same way as people do in, say, Paris. I appreciate my customers very much, and the shop over time has turned into a very personal business. A number of people who come in call it ‘the confessional’: you have a chat together and learn about their lives. There is an intimacy and a confidence with my customers, and I never break that confidence. You can’t get that intimacy online.” – RB
No 38, Dunville Avenue, Ranelagh, Dublin 6 no38dunville.com
Betty BojanglesDublin 8
Charlie Rankin, the owner of Betty Bojangles on Thomas Street, Dublin
Betty Bojangles on Dublin’s Thomas Street could as easily be named Betty Bedazzled. Charlie Rankin’s long narrow vintage shop glitters and sparkles everywhere you look.
There are beaded and embroidered capes and jackets, jewelled headbands and collars, diamanté studded trouser suits, kimonos and kaftans, and period dresses. Some are older pieces, and some are custom made for the shop. There is also a section of men’s wear. A new beaded shoulder capelet is €45. A vintage 1960s gold lamé sleeveless top is also €45.
There are several cases of costume and silver jewellery, and one full of rosaries and crosses. Rankin has been in the vintage business for 40 years, seven of them at this location. “I hand pick everything for the shop,” he says. “I go to house clearances. I don’t drive, so most of my stuff comes from Dublin.”
He thinks for a while when I ask him to describe the aesthetic of the shop. Instead, he tells a story about the origin of his taste. “My mother loved Agatha Christie, and I watched a lot of TV with her,” he says. “Murder on the Orient Express. Death on the Nile. I was mesmerised by the opulence and decadence of the fashion of that era.”
His customers are mainly women over 35, who are looking for something a bit different, informed by past fashions, rather than current ones. I ask if the Bridgerton shows have driven people to seek period fashion.
“The shop is not driven by trends,” he says. “For instance, I stock coats in the summer. If I like a piece, and it’s nice, it goes out on the rails. The Regency look is far harder to find. Even the 1920s, which sounds easier to get, is getting harder and harder. Genuine pieces are now a century old, and starting to perish.”
Charlie Rankin: ‘If I like a piece, and it’s nice, it goes out on the rails’
His own current favourite pieces, not all of which are on the shop floor, include a black 1920s velvet opera coat owned by one of the Guinness family; vintage pieces from Ib Jorgensen, and knitwear from Lainey Keogh.
They are not for everyone, but Rankin also stocks a range of vintage fur coats. Just before my arrival, he sold one to a tourist from Turkey. His most expensive piece currently on the floor is a mink coat for €1,600. “I cannot get enough of them,” he confides. “The same with vintage opera coats. You can’t get them any more, and if you do, the price – about €1,000 – puts off most people. But they will buy the fur coats.”
He does not permit filming or photography in the shop. “I want to communicate with people, and have them talk to me, instead of them ignoring me and filming for Instagram or TikTok. I have no interest in that.” – RB
Betty Bojangles, 77 Thomas Street, Dublin 8 @bettybojanglesdublin on Instagram
Tola VintageDublin 2
Ayuba Salaudeen owns Tola Vintage in Temple Bar.
Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/The Irish Times
In September 2020, Tola Vintage owner Ayuba Salaudeen was on the way to open his shop in Temple Bar when he walked over the Ha’penny Bridge and noticed the N-word spray painted on the ground. When he arrived at the shop he came upon more graffiti: “White Lives Matter” was misspelt next to his shopfront.
“It was just not nice to see,” he recalls. “It shouldn’t be anywhere, but especially in Temple Bar next to my shop which meant so much to me.”
In protest, he decided not to open that day. “I felt it was the first time people knew that Tola Vintage isn’t just Irish-owned, but also black-owned.”
Salaudeen cofounded the “trend-led vintage store” on Fownes Street in Temple Bar with his then-fiancee, now wife, Aoife Graham over a decade ago. The shop is named after their son Tola and specialises in 1980s and 1990s pieces, sourced from all over the world.
They have since opened Tola Designer on College Green, in the premises where Pen Corner traded for almost 100 years.
Tola Vintage, at 12 College Green, Dublin. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/The Irish Times 
‘We get stock from everywhere depending on what we need,’ says Salaudeen.
Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/The Irish Times 
international stars like Ariana Grande and Paramore’s Hayley Williams are among Tola Vintage’s clientele.
Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/The Irish Times
Every nook and cranny is loaded with vintage goodies; an authentic Louis Vuitton purse (€599), a 1980s embroidered Pucci skirt (€180) and a coral pink Linea Raffaelli skirt (€80) are among the items currently on display.
A short stroll away, the original Temple Bar location stocks more budget-friendly streetwear, and hosts a popular monthly “rummage sale” where customers can pick up coats for as little as a tenner, two for €8 on tracksuit bottoms and bargain bits for a fiver.
“We get stock from everywhere depending on what we need,” Salaudeen explains. “If we need designer items, we might go to Italy. If we need colourful stuff with patterns and shell jackets, we’ll go to America. If we need sports stuff we might go to Germany.”
The space has become a community hub over the years. “We give our space once a month to local creatives – not just for young black people, but for everyone. A lot of companies have come through that, brands like Emporium and musicians like MOIO and Erica Cody,” he says.
“Every time we talk about race on Instagram, we lose followers, but also we gain a lot of young black customers who are attracted to an environment where they can feel safe and run events.”
It’s not just local musicians who are fans of Tola; international stars like Ariana Grande and Paramore’s Hayley Williams are among their clientele.
– NB
Tola Vintage, 10 Fownes Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2 tolavintage.com
Bella Bleu Vintage BridalCork
Lucy Ryan of Bella Bleu Vintage Bridal on her wedding day
Lucy Ryan’s love affair with vintage clothing began playing dress-up as a child in Co Kerry.
“My mam had a dress-up box, the kind every mam had growing up. It had the most beautiful evening gowns, because back in the day people actually got dressed up.”
Ryan now runs her own dress-up box of sorts – vintage bridal boutique Bella Bleu on Cork’s South Mall, in the heart of the city’s traditional banking row.
Up a flight of stairs and tucked away in the back of an old Dutch brick office building, Bella Bleu has wall-to-wall rails of bespoke bridal, vintage dresses, accessories, second-hand shoes and an antique setee in the centre of the room.
“Talking to my mam recently, she was saying that in the 1970s in Kerry with Christmas coming up, you’d have at least five dresses for all the events. These were 20-something-year-olds with three kids at home, they weren’t elite by any means, but people used to dress up more.”
Ryan’s fascination with occasion wear carried through into her adulthood. After completing a BA in art history and economics at University College Cork, she went on to do a masters in fashion curation and museum work at the London College of Fashion. In 2012 she got a part-time job working in Bella Bleu, then owned by Kate Parle, a TV dresser.
When Parle wanted to give up the business, Ryan wondered what she was going to do. “I didn’t want to stop. I loved every aspect of it. The clothes, the people – everything. I decided to keep going,” she says of her decision to take over the shop.
Lucy Ryan and her husband Shane on their wedding day. Photograph: White Cat Studio
Parle left one special parting gift – a wedding dress that was to become Ryan’s own.
“The last buying trip that Kate went on, she came back from San Francisco, and she had a load of dresses. There was one that had the most beautiful floral lace; I just thought it was really special. It was this big 1980s, puff sleeve, full drama dress. People used to make fun of it, and I eventually took it off the floor,” she says. “Five years later, [my partner] finally proposed,” she laughs; she had the dress ready and waiting.
Although the store was predominantly vintage in the beginning, the collection is now dwindling as brides’ tastes have changed.
“Vintage in your head is something sexy out of a movie, but in reality, vintage is generally high neck and long sleeves. It’s quite traditional, even from the 1920s up it’s all about coverage,” she says. But she still gets a thrill out of finding a match for a preloved dress. “When you do find the right bride, it is the most special feeling.” – NB
Bella Bleu, 74 South Mall, Cork City bellableu.ie
Spice VintageSligo
‘I got the idea for vintage drops from Palace Skateboards, Supreme and all those streetwear brands,’ says Grace Collier of Spice Vintage
When Covid lockdowns shuttered businesses, Grace Collier closed her bricks and mortar vintage shop in Limerick, and “wasted no time” moving online. When the website went live, more than 100 items sold out in 15 minutes. “It was unheard of,” she says.
Collier, who has a master’s degree in marketing from the University of Galway, would upload images of her treasures; second hand Nike and Adidas athleisure, glittery going out tops, durable Carhartt trousers and 1980s shell jackets, throughout the week on social media. Then, on Friday evening she would “drop” the stock, and online customers would begin their frenzied craze to grab their own piece of Spice Vintage.
“I got the idea for vintage drops from Palace Skateboards, Supreme and all those streetwear brands. They do drops of their stock,” she explains.
“No one was doing it in Ireland at the time, but it made so much sense to me. The model is so perfect for vintage … It puts excitement into buying clothes. It creates buzz. It just makes it fun.”
On a given week, shoppers can find colourful ski suits for €60, lilac fur collar jackets for €40, Aztec patterned fleece headbands and scarves for €15.
When deciding on what treasures to stock, Collier thinks of her own taste and budget. “I am my customer and I sell my stuff for as close to a bargain as I can get it, or I just don’t sell it.”
Grace Collier: ‘It’s outrageous, I own a ski brand, and I have never been skiing’
Spice, which started out as a pop-up shop in Clonakilty in west Cork in 2017 before finding a more permanent home in Limerick until the pandemic, hasn’t had an in-person shop for six years. But Collier has recently bought purchased a studio space on Market Street in Sligo town, where she plans to live and run her online business from, as well as open to the public a few times a year.
Collier also runs Spice Ski, an offshoot selling second-hand gear for the slopes. “There’s nowhere in the world that I can see that is a stand-alone vintage ski brand.”
The venture has inspired Collier to try something new. “It’s outrageous, I own a ski brand, and I have never been skiing,” she says. “We have booked New Year’s 2027 to go skiing. Now I have Spice Ski I am interested in trying it out.” – NB
Dirty FabulousCo Monaghan 
Kathy Sherry and Caroline Quinn: ‘We always had a love of how clothing was made.’ Photograph: Chris Maddaloni/The Irish Times
Despite being sisters, Caroline Quinn and Kathy Sherry – the duo behind Monaghan’s Dirty Fabulous vintage boutique – have never fought over clothes.
“We grew up surrounded by clothing and our mother was a seamstress. So, we always had a love of how clothing was made, but we have very different tastes,” Kathy explains.
Where Caroline was into more androgynous silhouettes and 1940s tailoring to compliment her bright blue hair, Kathy leaned into more 1950s and 1970s clothing, with a signature red lipstick.
Dirty Fabulous is a treasure trove in Monaghan town of jewel-coloured vintage finds: current stock includes a 1960s gold lamé jumpsuit for €340, a 1920s needlepoint bag with turquoise details for €130, and a stunning 1960s quilted Dynasty Hong Kong Colony maxi dress for €380 which they say is a rarity: the colour combination and velvet trim is “unlike anything we’ve ever had”, Kathy says.
Caroline remembers buying her first item of second-hand clothing at a church jumble sale when she was 14 years old. “It was a little silk velvet tunic with a rhinestone collar on it. Mum would always make my clothes. She made all her own clothes. Any normal clothes in the shops were really boring to me. If I could draw something, Mum could make it.”
Vintage hats in Dirty Fabulous in Monaghan. Photograph: Chris Maddaloni/The Irish Times 
Caroline Quinn of Dirty Fabulous in Monaghan with a 1980s dress. Photograph: Chris Maddaloni/The Irish Times 
Vintage hats from co-owners and sisters Kathy Sherry and Caroline Quinn in Dirty Fabulous in Monaghan. Photograph: Chris Maddaloni/The Irish Times
Kathy’s first vintage experience came a few years later, after their mother, Mary Quinn, opened the costume shop M & K Costumes.
“I was working in the shop from 12 up and I used to go on buying trips with her buying authentic vintage pieces,” Kathy recalls. “I remember travelling to England to the BBC costume department in the early 1990s and going through all their Edwardian costumes. Theatrical costume was where it all began for me.”
Decades later, the sisters’ own shop Dirty Fabulous has supplied costumes for BBC television series Call the Midwife, clothing shoppers looking for race day wear, debs dresses, bridal and wedding guest attire, as well as costumes for other films and TV shows.
Originally set up in Dublin in 2008, the sisters moved their business back to their home county in 2019, after both were unable to buy a home in the capital. “It’s definitely a destination shop, so we hoped our core customers would follow us,” says Caroline.
“We have people driving up from Kerry for a debs dress, which is a huge commitment, and a lot of pressure, but it’s very flattering that people have that kind of faith in us.”
What advice would they have for novice vintage shoppers? Kathy tells people to “be open”.
“Vintage dresses are not going to look like any dresses that you would see in your high street shop. Find colours and fabrics that you like – have fun with it. Whatever gives you a bit of joy.”
Caroline advises people to take the help of anyone working in a second-hand store.
“Most vintage stores are generally owner-run. So just trust whoever comes up to you and says ‘Can I help you?’ and say yes. They know their stock inside out. Vintage shops tend to be a passion project.” – NB
Dirty Fabulous, 40 Glaslough Street, Monaghan dirtyfabulous.com
More great vintage shops around the countryDeja VuBelfast
A long-established boutique selling preloved clothes and accessories on Belfast’s “Golden Mile” Lisburn Road for the past 40 years. Established by two friends, one a nurse, the other a teacher, Deja Vu sell a wide range of high-quality seasonal top-end high street and designer pieces. Latest arrivals include a red Hermes silk scarf (€212.95), black and gold Sandro flats (€82.95), a black Louis Vuitton tote (€1,180) and a Zimmerman midi dress (€401). – Deirdre McQuillan
Deja Vu, 443 Lisburn Road, Belfast www.dejavu.com
Public RomanceGalway city
Public Romance stocks an eclectic mix of vintage, reworked pieces and accessories displayed across two floors. There is a strong sporty vibe with sports jacket best sellers, along with Harley Davidson tees, Carhartt jackets, Levis and designer gear from the 1980s to the late 2000s. “We give clothes a new lease of life by ensuring they do not end up in landfill,” the owners say. Sizes accommodate XXS to XXL, from UK 4-20. – DMcQ
Public Romance, 52 Abbeygate Street Upper, Galway www.publicromance.com
Alfies VintageEnnistymon, Co Clare
Cofounded by surfers Emily Ryan and Ian McCabe four years ago, Alfie’s is a welcoming place to scour the rails for bargains. You walk into a cosy cafe with a log fire and comfortable seating with strategically located home items for sale before heading upstairs for a large selection of vintage, thrifted pieces and sustainable brands, mostly sourced in Europe. Mango, Zara and Guess are the main backbone, though designer pieces from the likes of Paul Costelloe can also be found, as well as shoes and accessories. – DMcQ
Alfies, Ennistymon, Co Clare, @alfies_ennistymon on Instagram
Badlands, Sacred Heart of Vintage and FlipTemple Bar, Dublin
Sophie McQuade, who owns three vintage shops alongside her father and brother in Temple Bar. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
The holy trinity of family-run vintage businesses are located on Fownes Street Upper in Temple Bar. Flip was founded by Frank McQuade in 1987, who passed on his love of vintage to his children Michael and Sophie, who have opened their own shops – Badlands next door, and Sacred Heart of Vintage upstairs. Despite sharing a building, the trio use different suppliers and cater for different customers. “We used to all shop for stock together but there were a lot of arguments over what we’d each get. So now we all go our separate ways,” explains Sophie. – NB
3-4 Fownes Street Upper, Temple Bar, Dublin 2. @flip_templebar, @badlands_dublin and @sacredheartofvintage on Instagram
Miss Daisy BlueCork city
Breda Casey, owner of Miss Daisy Blue in Cork. Photograph: Brian Cronin
Breda Casey opened her beloved vintage shop in Cork’s English Market in 2009. A culmination of 20 years spent working in retail, travelling, buying and collecting, the store has since become an indelible part of the city’s vintage scene, moving to a first floor location on Patrick’s Quay, as well as the occasional pop-up at the Marina Market. Eclectic is the name of the game, with stock dating from the 1930s to 1990s, from couture gowns suitable for wedding guests, to leather jackets for techno raves. – NB
Miss Daisy Blue, 1-2 St Patrick’s Quay, Cork @missdaisyblue on Instagram
Nine Crows and LootTemple Bar and Drury Street, Dublin 2
Nine Crows was an unlikely business success story during the recession. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/The Irish Times
Founded by Emma Fraser and Dean Ryan McDaid in 2008, Nine Crows was an unlikely business success story during the recession. The Temple Bar shop stocks handpicked vintage at affordable prices, mostly from the 1990s and 2000s. Think sporty streetwear and bright neon shell jackets for festivals, along with boldly patterned statement pieces. Their sister store on Drury Street, Loot, stocks “high-end classics that span across decades”, and Fraser also co-owns Not Another modelling agency, which marked a decade in business last year. – NB
Nine Crows, 22 Temple Lane, Dublin 2, shopninecrows.com and Loot, 23 Drury Street, Dublin 2 lootdublin.com
Additional reporting by Deirdre McQuillan