Straight from festive fug to sales fever

The sound of hangers clacking, elbows digging and tills slamming signalled the start of the winter sales in Dublin early yesterday morning as shoppers emerged from the festive fug for a spot of cut-price retail therapy.

Hardcore bargain-hunters were to be found on a mostly deserted, dark and windswept Grafton Street in the small hours of the morning.

About 50 people gathered around the fluorescent lights of the Next store like thrifty moths to a flame waiting for the 5am-9am sale to start.

"This is nuts," observed one man wandering unsteadily past the shop on his way home from a party, not quite believing what he was seeing.

With only a handful of Irish-born people in the throng, the fit of a jacket, the cut of a suit and the quality of a pair of jeans were debated in several different languages with "bargain" being the only word that didn't need translating.

In another novel development, the men's section on the first floor appeared to be seeing most of the action.

"There are a lot of immigrants and a lot of men," confirmed Nico Mazilascu, a construction worker from Bucharest in Romania who had queued since 4am. "I am very happy, I did very well. I got a €200 leather jacket for €75 and I think I have saved almost €300 altogether."

He agreed there was a mighty scrum upstairs but said last year was even worse. Then he was off. "I have to go now, I am going back to the car with these bags and then coming back for more."

Two young Malaysian women, student doctors, emerged from the shop beaming with a bag filled with gift sets they had got for next to nothing. They had stocked up on lip glosses, shampoos and perfume, gifts for themselves and friends back home. "This is so great, I came here to grab all this," said Inaz Hashim from Kuala Lumpur displaying her little pink boxes full of goodies.

Despite the winter chill, the first few people at the door of Clerys were in good spirits. Michael Boyle from Co Galway was in the coveted first place after queuing since 7pm on St Stephen's night.

"I saw a dishwasher that was down to €90," he said.

He was also looking forward to the full Irish breakfast the store was giving away to the first 100 shoppers in keeping with a long-standing tradition.

Second in line was Mary McCann from Churchtown in Dublin who was expecting sweet dreams last night after nabbing a €1,699 bed for just €1. Dubliner Dave Groves, who couldn't stop shivering, said he had queued from 9pm on St Stephen's Day for a top-of-the-range oven that had been slashed from €4,000 to €1,000.

Sadly, rumours of a €100 Smeg fridge turned out to be just another winter sales myth.

As the shutters rose in Arnotts down the road at 10am, many shoppers legged it to the counter where top-of-the-range trainers were being sold at half-price. Dermot O'Neill and Gemma Lalor from Portlaoise were delighted with themselves until they opened their boxes and realised they had bought the wrong size. It was back to the queue - now five deep across the counter - to make the swap.

With your brand-new half- price runners on, it was only a short dash to the other side of the city and the shoe section of Brown Thomas on Grafton Street, traditionally the most intimidating place to be when the sales start.

As sharp-eyed women stalked their stilletoed prey from 9am, there was no place for casual browsers or anyone who didn't know their Blahniks from their Louboutins. Here some men used prams to transport their partner's designer spoils while others just sat, head in hands, grimly settling in for the day.

One woman wasn't here for the bargains but to exchange two expensive pairs of shoes that her boyfriend had left under the Christmas tree.

Showing off the €640 silver- patterned Jimmy Choos, Australian Lilian Bryant expressed disappointment that the store wouldn't be able to transfer the correct size from the Choo stockist in London until the sale was over.

"I was hoping to wear them on New Year's Eve but I won't be able to now," she said.

Confirming she'd been "totally spoilt" this year, she consoled herself with the diamond earrings her boyfriend also bought her for their first Christmas together.

Would she be trawling through the rest of the bargains in the shop?

"No, I am getting out of here right now," she said, gritting her teeth as the temperature in the shoe department rose another notch.