Books at One backs 23 Irish indie bookshops with €100K fund

What's the deal? Books at OneDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has named 23 independent bookshops as recipients of its Community Prize Fund, sharing in a €100,000 pot. Two Kildare stores made the cut: The Maynooth Bookshop in Maynooth and Woodbine Books in Kilcullen.

The details: Each selected store receives a grant of up to €5,000 to develop community activities. The 23 recipients span 14 counties across the island of Ireland, including newly opened stores and some that also won funding in 2025.

Why now? The fund, created in 2025 by Books at One via The One Foundation, is in its second year. Last summer, 21 bookshops received grants for projects such as storytelling events, creative workshops, and youth programmes.

What's the endgame? The aim is to reframe independent bookshops as cultural and social venues for their towns. Returning recipients can expand on last year's work or start a new creative venture.

What they said: "The power of a good indie bookshop is not just about what's on the shelves alone but about those who work there and those who visit on the regular," said Eoghan Stack, chairperson of The One Foundation.

The signal: The repeat funding points to sustained backing for physical bookshops as community anchors, at a time when many independent retailers face pressure from online sellers.

Read more: leinsterleader.ie

Image credit: Gwydion M. Williams