Our Story
At the Heart of the Skibbereen Community Since 1980
The Skibberen Bookshop
At the Skibbereen Bookshop we offer a wide variety of reading materials from contemporary Irish and international fiction and poetry, non fiction, history, archaeology and Irish culture, as well as books for children, teens and young adults. Browsers are always welcome, and our staff are happy to answer any questions or queries you may have.
We are greatly interested in the display and promotion of books of local interest. The growth of local publications in the Skibbereen area took a real step forward 21 years ago during the millennium celebrations. At that time many local areas and parishes sought to confidently present their local lore, local folklore and local histories. Our present stock includes publications from Skibbereen, Baltimore, Castlehaven, Heir Island, Sherkin Island, Cape Clear Island and Oldcourt.
In our bookshop we do our best to keep abreast of books of Irish interest and Irish history, pre-and post- Famine. Much of Skibbereen and district cultural history revolves around the Famine and Famine times arguably the single greatest event in Irish history.
You are very welcome to visit our upstairs Art and Craft section. Neatly arranged shelves and stands serve to supply you with the paints and mediums that allow you to experiment with the broad canvas.
The Bookshop's History
Our premises at 35 Main St. has been in the family since 1906. From that date to 1980 our business was the licensed vintner trade. A professionally run pub was essentially a venue for social and verbal discourse. With parents reaching retirement age and the super-pubs on the horizon we decided that a change in business was merited. In opening a bookshop you could say we exchanged the spoken word for the written word but the sociability remains the same. As an Independent Bookshop on the Main St. we are happily continuing to serve our customer public.
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