i've said this before, i always bring Ajax with me (random) although technically it's illegal... eek! (was banned cuz paramilitaries would make bombs out of it...) i just love the cleaning power of powdered bleach!
hmmm, chocolate chip cookies, i always bring a few packs of PC Decadence which my irish friends often eat and then do a double take "where did you get these???"
i probably sound like a broken record but i pretty much echo what everyone else has said... if you've got the weight allowance for it:
toiletries, cleaning supplies, "ethnic" food -- which is what they call anything anyway exotic in irish supermarkets including pasta (eg, that thai hot sauce that comes in the squeeze large bottle with the rooster on it), and definitely stock up on duty free (i know it's not much of a deal at pearson airport but the chance of them checking your bag at customs is probably close to 0, esp if you have a EU passport), perhaps a few selected undergrad books like biochem and physiology (those were the only two i think i used).
what NOT to bring: electrical stuff (esp clocks, they won't work even with an adapter, kind of funny tho!) -- just get it at
Argos or something, bedding (Arnotts has nice stuff depending on ur budget), mobile phone (unless ur really attached to your TRI-BAND, UNLOCKED, GSM phone... cells are the only deal in ireland probably... Rogers pay as you go is such a rip off here)...
Now, as far as DVDs go, that is the only piece of North American equip i use there... a cheap $40 dvd player from wal-mart to play region 1 dvds (ie, dvds from home)
i've said enuf.
😛