The Importance of Books and the Rise of Bookshops in Ireland
by Ana McGuire (Staff Writer)
Fiction, fantasy, crime, horror, science fiction, biography, thriller. These, and many more, are different genres of books. Books offer a temporary escape from life for the people who read them. When reading a book, you are transported to another world filled with amazing characters, crazy plotlines and stunning imagery. Even though you are still planted firmly on planet earth, your mind is on another, which is the power of books. Even if you are not interested in escaping to a fantasy land to leave all of life’s problems behind, there is a genre and a book for every type of reader out there. Books are jam packed with knowledge of history, self-help, nature, geography, science and much more. Without books, we would not be half as knowledgeable or advanced as a species.
However, with the rise in technology, there has been a significant decrease in the popularity and sale of physical books over the years. Kindles and eBookshave become increasingly popular during the past ten years or so. This is mainly because it is an awful lot cheaper to buy books on a Kindle or to just download them. It is also because it is a lot easier to only have to carry around one portable device where all your books are stored, opposed to carrying three or four hefty books to keep you busy on holidays. On top of this, since people are so busy with work and other commitments, they might not have time to sit down and enjoy a book. This is where eBooks comes in. While people are driving to work or going a walk, they can tune into an audiobook and listen to the book along the way,
The con of this ingenious piece of technology is that many independent bookshops have shut down over the years because there was no business coming in. In my hometown of Killarney alone, the Killarney BookShop and Pages closed their doors to the public during my teenage years. These closures stung as I had so many childhood memories of spending hours in those bookshops, completely immersed in the stories. I was the kid who sat for hours on the toilet reading and my mother had to hammer on the door! I never stopped reading as a child and I still haven’t stopped reading as a twenty-one-year-old. Books and fantasy worlds are my happy place. So when the rise of Kindles and the downfall of bookshops came to my attention, I was devastated. In my opinion, reading off of a screen is not the same in the slightest. Most of the joys of reading, for me, come from physically holding a book and turning every page. I do not get that same experience with just tapping a screen to turn the page. However, the tide turned in favour of physical books in recent years.
There has been a much bigger appetite for books since 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic hit. During the various lockdowns in Ireland, people got very bored, and soon many people’s passions for physical books were reignited. According to the Journal, book sales in 2020 were up 4%, mostly driven by the large number of online sales during the lockdown. People depended on online stores like Book Depository, a huge online website that has many, many books available to purchase. However, the online presences of Dubray Books, Easons and many more bookshop chains also felt the rise in popularity of books through online sales. Coincidentally enough, even after the various lockdowns came to an end and life has now fully returned to normal, the popularity of physical books has still remained. According to the Irish Times, print book sales reached its eighth consecutive year of growth in 2022 after reaching 170 million euro in sales, which is astounding and incredible. It is a dream come true for book lovers as now there are over two hundred book shops in Ireland as of the end of 2022. In Cork City alone, Easons, which is a massive book shop chain and has been in Cork City since 1986, moved to a bigger location from 113-115 St Patrick’s Street to Number 36 St Patrick’s Street, on the ground floor of the historical former Victoria Hotel, right next to the Penney’s on the main street of Cork City. Eason’s is one of the most popular book shops in Cork City and since it has moved to a larger establishment, they have employed more people and been able to sell more books. On the opposite side of St Patrick’s Street, you will find the recently opened Dubray books. The well known Irish bookshop chain has only had a store in Cork City for a little over a year. When it opened in early November 2021, it was a bright spot in the wake of some major lockdowns. Dubray Books opened its first store in 1973 in Bray and as of 2023, the company has ten locations across Ireland.
Another book shop that has been around in Cork City since 1988 is Waterstones. Located at 69 St Patrick’s Street, it has been a haven for many over the years and will continue for many to come. They host signings with authors of recently published books, poetry readings and many more activities to engage with the local community. It is dangerous for me to be in Waterstones as I will always buy a book there! On the other side of town, specifically at 21 Lavitt’s Quay Cork, lies Vibes and Scribes with not one but two book shops! You get the best of both worlds with this company as one shop deals primarily with second-hand books and there are often deals to be found there. On top of that, you can go in and donate your books, receiving a sum for those that the shop accepts. Clear out that to be read pile and make room for more! Right beside this wonderful second-hand bookshop is the new Vibes and Scribes shop, which sells new releases and newer, shinier editions of the books sold in the second hand shop. The options are unlimited!
If there are numerous bookshops succeeding in one small city, think of the impact the other bookshops have in smaller areas in Ireland. Take Kerr’s Books for example. This family bookshop was set up in Clonakilty in 1992 and has become the centre of the community in its thirty years in business. It recently won the Best Regional Independent Bookshop of the Year in 2021. In conclusion, physical books are making a comeback and I could not be happier!
