Kennys are delighted to announce this week the opening of a new Bookshop in the Liosbán Retail Park, Tuam Road, Galway. With over 50,000 titles covering hundreds of metres of shelving in over 700 square metres of retail space dedicated to books, this is a book lovers paradise!
Kennys took their entire bookselling operation online in January 2006. Now, due to popular demand, they are reopening for retail.
‘While online bookselling worldwide continues to grow apace, there is no substitute for taking a book in your hand and flicking through the pages’ says Des Kenny. ‘We were overwhelmed by the reaction when we closed the Bookshop in High St in 2006. Since then people have continually asked us if we might reconsider opening a Bookshop in Galway. We moved into our existing premises in Liosbán over a year ago. Although we haven’t been open to the public until now, former customers and browsers call to the premises daily asking to look through the shelves.’
So Kennys have taken all the feedback on board and redesigned the ground floor of their existing premises for retail. Completely different to the nooks and crannies of the former High St shop, the new Bookshop is more akin to an American style Bookbarn with wide open spaces and long aisles of books. And when you find a book you love, you can relax in one of the many armchairs to read.
The vast bulk of the books are secondhand and out of print. For bargain hunters, there are large popular fiction and thriller sections. In addition, there are extensive history and literature sections. The books of Irish Interest take up three long aisles and the range and depth of these sections is unlikely to be equalled in any other Bookshop. All sections have been bolstered by recent acquisitions of some fine collections, including an Irish gentleman’s library of some 10,000 volumes.
The Rare Book and Gifts Room will excite bibliophiles and collectors alike. From signed modern first editions to more scarce fine bindings, this is a superb collection of books. Kennys have built up an interesting selection of original manuscript material, including Yeats, Joyce, Shaw and Behan.
You could do far worse of a wet Summer’s morning than spend a couple of hours browsing the wonderful collection in Kennys new Bookshop!
Open Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm with free parking.