Black Friday in Ireland - where the deals are

Black Friday is upon us. What started as an American tradition has become one of the biggest retail days of the year here, with Irish consumers expected to spend about €74m this weekend.

So what's the story, and where are the good deals? We've got you covered.

What is Black Friday?

Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, when United States shoppers descend upon stores in huge numbers for special deals available for one day only - a little like St Stephen's Day sales here.

The name has two explanations - the obvious 'black with people' phrase to indicate the sheer volume of crowds, and the idea that the sales drive retailers 'into the black' for the year by generating profit.

It's also known for mayhem among shoppers, with crowds crushing people and injuries reported from trampling. In 2008, a shop worker died in Long Island after being crushed by a stampede, and in 2011 a shopper collapsed from a heart condition as people stepped over him.

In Manchester, three people were arrested early this morning at different supermarkets as fights broke out over a limited-supply deal. Manchester police report that in one incident, fighting broke out among some of a 300-strong crowd at a Tesco.

Black Friday deals in Ireland

While the phenomenon has always been centred in the US, it's leaked into European culture. In particular, British retailers have jumped on board in earnest - and that includes their Irish stores.

Luckily, here at home things tend to be a bit more sensible than elsewhere, with sales in many retailers stretched over the weekend.

Here are some of the available offers:

• Debenhams are offering half price on all women's dresses and men's shirts, and big cuts on kitchenware like coffee machines and mixers. They've also got a blanket 15% cut on perfumes and fragrances, including gift packs - handy for Christmas.

• The Body Shop has 30% off pretty much everything in their bricks-and-mortar stores.

• Amazon make hay with the entire week around Black Friday. Not only do they have limited-time "lightning deals" for a few hours each, there's anything up to 70% off a huge range of items - be sure to scroll to the end of the deals page.

One of their biggest deals is a whopping £100 off their flagship Kindle Fire HDX tablet. But with the enormous variety of items they sell, it's just generally a good day to browse for that item you've been thinking of.

• Currys and PC world have reductions across both the technology and home fittings side of things. That includes over €1,000 off the top-end TVs (which will still be expensive, but still).

• Marks and Spencer are offering 30% off womenswear, and 20% off everything else.

• Boots is running its sale until Monday, with half-price or better deals on many products. Apart from the usual array of toiletries and beauty products, there are discounts on Olympus cameras and Jawbone Up fitness trackers.

• Harvey Norman is doing (up to) 20% off coffee machines and fridges, 30% off laptops, TVs, cameras, and printers, and 50% off audio equipment and furniture. All offers are in-store only.

• Dublin retailer Arnotts is running a sale until Sunday with "at least 20% off almost everything". That goes up to 40% for menswear and womenswear, and there's a little off their Apple products too.

• Brown Thomas is running almost the same deal - 20% off most items, excluding next season's stock and the super-premium boutiques like Chanel, Louis Vitton etc.

• Argos has anything from 15% off (on toys, for example) to 70% off some products, today only.

• For anyone looking to buy books as gifts, Easons have a blanket 10% off and free delivery if you order from their website this weekend - just use BLACK as a discount code at checkout.

Don't forget Cyber Monday

While bricks-and-mortar retailers see thousands the day after thanksgiving, online retailers started noticing a boost in sales the following Monday, as people sat at their computers and began to think about Christmas.

That has now become Cyber Monday, the digital equivalent of Friday's sales boost. We don't know quite what to expect yet, but it's likely we'll see discounts on electronics like game consoles and downloadable content. If you're looking for a gadget, make sure you scout online Monday.

Have we missed anything? Let us know about any stand-out deals you've seen in the comments.