So, I went to Ireland last week with my family. The trip was in honor of my father’s 60th birthday, and for 5 days my husband, parents, and I drove around the country (on the left side of the road!) trying to dodge sheep and raindrops, lol. It’s a beautiful country full of history and these amazing ruins. Seriously, just driving you pass these farms and houses with this beautiful half-fallen-down castle in the backyard. How cool would it be to grow up with that to play on?
But one thing I was not expecting was the mass amount of bookstores Ireland has. Every small town, even the ones with, like, 4 buildings on their main streets had a bookstore, used or otherwise. Ireland is a country of readers! My hubby claimed it was because there is little else to do stranded in the country, lol, but I choose to think of it as a genetic trait. One I inherited along with the red hair and inability to tan 
.
I didn’t get any pics of the Galway stores…I assumed the city had so many because it was a larger town by Irish standards. When I got to Ennis and saw that the amount of bookstores per capita was even larger…I started snapping away. The bookish people of the world should know about this little known fact…Ireland is a book-lover’s dream country!
The Ennis Bookshop was a cute little independent bookstore…Love all the wild colors they paint their shops!
This one is apparently one of their big chain stores…I didn’t see one Barnes and Noble or any other American chain anywhere.
O’Mahony’s was stuffed to the gills with new releases.
Books Upstairs was a bookstore in Dublin…Very cute and Very Busy!
Sceal Eile was my favorite bookstore. It was all used books but I loved the Mark Twain quote on the doorway of the building and it was so warm and inviting inside…Books stacked everywhere! Too bad the family was with me, I could have gotten lost in the store for a while, lol…
Mark Twain Quote: “good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience
this is the ideal life”
Imagine an afternoon with a little fire and a cup of coffee spent in one of those chairs *sigh*
Seriously, I went picture crazy in this store…Good thing no one minded!
All of the signs were in Galic as well as English…Keeping the traditions alive
It was a perfect trip with my family. One where I didn’t read much as after touring all day we hit up some pubs for a Guinness and Irish music rather than my bed and a book, lol. But I was seriously blown away by all the bookstores and even regular stores that offered books for sale or swap. Very cool part of the culture that I didn’t know about. Now I’m off to sort through my 1,006 photos…Seriously…I have it narrowed down to about 468 at the moment but that still WAY too many for Facebook, lol. I need strength to cut a few more sheep photos from the lot…Wish me luck!
Love this post! I’m sure you were in heaven in all of those stores! Looks great – more pics please
Haha, you’re gonna love the FB set…even takes me about 20 minutes to get through…seriously must downsize photo group!
I loved to read about your library adventures. What fun you must have had. Your pictures are great and I look forward to more.
Love, Aunt Marty
Great pics! I spent a semester in Ireland during college. What an amazing place. We had a special tour of the Abby Theater, traveled across the country and visited more little bookstores than I could shake a stick at. Can’t wait to go back someday.
So enjoyable…all the photos and your musings!
Oh my goodness, that picture of the castle is gorgeous. I love this whole post and all those beautiful stores.
Isn’t that picture amazing, you’d never know there were gale force winds and rain the whole time…my camera takes better pictures than I gave it credit for, lol…I may exaggerate a tad. It really is a beautiful place
OMG that’s a bookworm’s dream!! Those bookstores look so cozy. Thanks for sharing your pictures with us
Thanks for visiting my blog. I went camping over the week-end so I am just getting back to respond to participants of the Friday blog hops.
I am also hosting a first-ever blogoversary give-a-way. Your post about bookstores in Ireland relates to my question of the day. Please visit my blog and participate. Thanks!
http://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/2011/07/blogoversary-giveaway-week-day-1.html
[...] noting about tales of Irish Water Horses. But I love the way Stiefvater writes. And judging from my recent trip to Ireland, the place is pretty magical. I need nothing more than those two criterion to suggest this next [...]
Hello there!
Myself and my father are the owners of Scéal Eile Books. I was surprised and delighted to stumble across your blog and see your wonderful pictures of Ireland and (of course) of our shop!
So glad that you enjoyed your holiday in Ireland, and thank you so much for posting those beautiful pictures of Scéal Eile Books.
Éibhleann.
Ps. Our facebook page can be found here https://www.facebook.com/ScealEileBooks – would you mind if we shared your blog post with our facebook friends?
I’m headed to Ireland in June, and I can’t wait to go bookshop hunting while there.
I was so surprised by how many bookstores there were! It’s a book lovers country
you’ll love it
YAY! I can’t wait!!!
[...] and honoured to be featured on the Librarian Reads blog as their favourite Irish bookshop! Here is a link to the blog post. Thanks so much to “the [...]