Dunmore East is one of those villages that seems to get everything right — the harbour, the coloured cottages, the cliffs, the light off the sea on a good evening. And tucked on the Dock Road, within sight of the fishing boats, Breakwater Gift Shop has been quietly adding to that list since it opened in 2017.
Irish Art You Won’t Find Anywhere Else
The shop’s speciality is Irish art and handmade craft, bought with an eye for work that’s genuinely interesting rather than generically “Irish.” You’ll find paintings by local artists alongside ceramics, textiles, jewellery, and handmade objects that reflect the landscape and character of the Hook Peninsula and the wider South East.
There’s also what the owners cheerfully describe as a “quirky mix” of seaside souvenirs — the kind that don’t feel like an afterthought, because they’re chosen with the same care as everything else. It’s the combination that makes the shop work: something for the collector alongside something for the five-year-old who wants a memento of the holiday.
Visitors regularly describe it as an Aladdin’s Cave — a shop where you go in for one thing and come out with five, none of which you regret.
Part of the Dunmore East Experience
Breakwater operates seasonally, which means it’s at its best in the summer months when Dunmore East is at its most alive — but it’s worth checking their Instagram and Facebook for opening hours before making a special trip in the shoulder seasons. When it’s open, it’s one of the most enjoyable thirty minutes you can spend in the village.
Tea and coffee are available to go, which makes this a natural stopping point after a cliff walk or before the drive home. The staff are friendly in the way of people who genuinely like what they do — happy to talk about the artists, the provenance of a piece, or simply to let you browse in peace.
A Shop Worth Supporting
Independent gift shops that prioritise local makers over mass-produced imports are rarer than they should be. Breakwater Gift Shop is one of the good ones — a place that takes its role in the community seriously and reflects it in every piece it stocks.
Breakwater Gift Shop
Dock Road, Dunmore East, Co. Waterford
🌐 breakwatergiftshop.ie
📧 breakwatergiftshop@gmail.com
📱 086 145 2029
📸 @breakwatergiftshop
