Open all year. Wheelchair access and Bureau de Change. Provides a first class information service…read morefor visitors to Northern Ireland and for local residents. Services at this office include free information on the local area - tourist attractions, accommodation, where to eat, events, free information on holidays throughout Northern Ireland and accommodation bookings for Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom. I've been all over the place and its pretty hard to tell Tourist Info places apart and its particularly difficult to judge one in your own town but it does seem to tick all the boxes and the staff are friendly and knowlegdable. My girlfriend isn't from Bangor and she said that this place is a good start off point for the local area and to get a good grasp of what is going on locally.

Located in the pretty Tower House on Bangor's seafront, this Tourist Information Centre is…read moredefinitely one of the quaintest I've been in, and what it lacks in size, it makes up for in character. It's definitely the place to go to pick up a few leaflets on what's happening in Bangor, as well as the usual information on activities / places to visit / holidays around the rest of the province. My requirement was the latter, and so my sister and I popped in to see what we could find. Bank Holiday Monday was surprisingly quiet around these parts, so ironically the only 'tourists' in the place were myself and my sister. As soon as we got in through the door (with it's little dangly tune), we were greeted by a chirpy worker who asked us if we were ok or needed any help. I informed him we were fine, and satisfied with this answer, he went back to his seat and continued his conversation with his colleague (Bank Holiday Monday = easy pay, so it would seem). After a brief look around, I picked up a few leaflets on the North Down Museum, the North Down Coastal Path, events in the area, and that sort of thing. Content with my find, we left Mr Chirpy and the TIC, and went on our way. Four stars for little extra bit of customer service I've failed to find in any other Tourist Information Centre. I applaud thee Mr Chirpy.

Wonderful gallery on the Ormeau Road housed in a beautiful red brick building which just oozes…read morecharacter. Specialists in Ulster art and the three small rooms/ gallery spaces within Hallows showcase beautiful paintings ranging from traditional landscapes to more modern abstract pieces. Both emerging and established artists are represented here. You can buy original artwork and also some prints/ reproductions. They offer a bespoke framing service too and the option to buy art with an upfront payment or monthly instalments. I visited on Thursday 07/09/2017 with Belfast Art (Bus) Tour and we all enjoyed the warm welcome, complimentary wine/ refreshments and prints we purchased. I'm also looking forward to checking out the activities they've planned for Belfast Culture Night...

A Wonderful Gallery on the Ormeau Road. They also are Guild Certified Framers. Run by a husband and…read morewife. Not yet had anything framed. But will definitely be back. Such a warm welcome

The Ards peninsula is the home to a wealth of creative and artistic talent and the Doghouse gallery…read morein Comber houses just a small snippet of it. The Doghouse gallery markets itself as an intimate gallery space but when I visited recently I felt that it should perhaps mention the type of Artwork it displays in the countless blurbs in tourist information booklets. This place is anything but a Doghouse, despite being relatively small in comparison to other galleries, it is classy, sleek space for local art to get the exposure they deserve. The is quaint and unassuming. It welcomes visitors and the staff housed in the Doghouse Gallery are more like puppies that pit bulls. They are approachable, so if you particularly like one of the textiles hanging or the design installations then I would advise you to ask questions because they will gladly answer them. The emphasis in the Doghouse is on quality o design and you are not going to be disappointed with either. The Doghouse is something to be proud of and so are the unique designs inside. Doghouse gallery is currently closed until October 7th, they are restocking and their collection. But do not worry Doghouse will start their winter session soon.

The Ard's Art Centre was a surprising and rewarding find for me over the past year or so. A friend…read moreof a friend works there and had often said to call in when passing and so one day a few weeks ago I did. I discovered not only a town hall but several large spaces which are used for various events from all around Northern Ireland. There are gallery spaces for local artists to display their work, large function rooms housing everything from face painting in the summer to guitar festivals in the Autumn. The building is large, bright and welcoming so if you are in Ards for a few hours and want to know what to do call in and the friendly staff (ask for Graham!) will give you leaflets about local attractions.

'The Cultúrlann' is a cultural centre based on the Falls Road in Belfast. It is the focal point of…read morethe development of Irish language and culture in west Belfast, in an area that is becoming known as the Gaeltacht Quarter. It hosts a wide range of events, including language classes (Irish, French, Spanish), live music performances, plays, art exhibitions, etc. It boasts a cafe/restaurant (see my Cultúrlann cafe review), a small theatre, an art gallery, an Irish language radio station, a few offices, and a bookshop. It's a beautiful building which was formerly a Presbyterian church, and is now a hub of Irish language and culture, with many Irish speakers frequenting the cafe. I'm not a big fan of arts and plays but, if you are, check out the website or local press for upcoming events.

Belfast has creative talent coming out of its ears, a visit to St Georges Market on a weekend…read moremorning will make you appreciate the scales of the skill and creativity on our city. The Art Duo store is further testament to this statement, Michael and Christine Mooney's stall at St Georges Market mixes Belfast landscape paintings, with those of abstract popstars and they sprinkle in Norn Iron humour for good measure. There is a huge selection of paintings and they are beautifully framed and ready to hang. If you're looking for a talking point rather than a picture to hang in your home then I suggest that you visit these guys at St Georges Market.

The Wicker Man is a lovely traditional gift shop on Belfast's busy High Street. The company was…read moreestablished in 1994 in the hope of promoting local businesses and selling local art work. Nowadays the store sells work from artists in Ireland both North and South. They sell some intriguing items including beautiful Beleek pottery, some gorgeous Celtic jewellery, as well as work by some enterprising local artists. You can find work by Carrick artist Thomas Joseph, Belfast artist Gary Anderson as well as the exceptionally popular Anna Nielsen prints. The jewellery sold here is really gorgeous, it's very well made and you should try here if you're interested in buying the likes of a claddagh ring or a Celtic knot brooch. The stock is in no way limited to the usual array of touristy nick nacks, even I shop here if I'm after a particular work of art. But for those visiting the Emerald Isle you can choose from a huge range of typical Irish souveneirs. For something different they also have some beautiful picture frames and clocks. If you've never been here before and are a fan of our great wee country then you should definitely not miss it. The staff will greet you with a warm welcome and make you feel more than comfortable. Great shop, great stock, great prices, great people!

The Wicker Man is a gift shop I really like. Occasionally I call in to browse although I've never…read moreactually bought anything! It's geared more toward tourists, however I still love to have a look at all the beautiful items. There's an assortment of gifts for sale including art prints, calendars, jigsaws, soaps, jams, chutney, ornaments, hip flasks, musical instruments and yarns. All Irish themed or made by local creators. Every time I visit there are different items on display by different craftspeople and artists. Although I've noticed Jim Fitzpatrick's illustrations are always prominent. Other than Fitzpatrick's art, there's a good rotation of stock in Wicker Man, so browsing is never boring. Wicker Man also run evening classes such as knitting and crocheting. Additionally, there are often weird and wonderful things happening, e.g. beard braiding on Belfast Culture Night! An interesting shop to keep an eye on.

Obsessed with this shop! There were so many and all had different items. Staff was super friendly…read moreand welcoming, decent pricing and wide selection of merch to choose from. Can't wait to visit Ireland again!

Whoooo Hoooooo! Carolls I love you! There are two reasons why:…read more 1. I'm Irish and proud and when I walk past Carrolls and see the Belfast t-shirts and the tourists mulling around I get a great sense of pride. I am proud that if a Spanish/French/Ethiopian wanted to purchase something, nay anything with a shamrock on it they could get it here. I'm proud that pencils and pencil cases, hairbands, rubbers, sweets, aprons and the like with sheep/shamrocks/leprahauns on them can all be purchased here! 2. The Irish tunes that are being pumped outta this place from opening until closing fill me with happiness and make me want to sing along as I am walking past in the pissy rain on dull and gray winters afternoon - sure you couldn't beat it. For all things Irish Caroll is yer man/woman?