Charlie Byrne's Bookshop

Charlie Byrne's Bookshop www.charliebyrne.ie
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Located in the heart of Galway City, Charlie Byrne's stocks over 70,000 pre-loved, new and bargain books on subjects ranging from popular fiction to Irish interest to art and architecture and much more.

Unlike the Achaemenids, the Chinese, the Greeks or the Romans, the early Irish were poor in their ability at siege warfa...
04/08/2026

Unlike the Achaemenids, the Chinese, the Greeks or the Romans, the early Irish were poor in their ability at siege warfare - when the Normans invaded they quite literally solidified their new gains with earthen and stone castles - most which stand today, even if partially in ruin.

These structures would function as strategic points to govern from, as areas to martial out of or act as defense strongholds to fall back to. 'The Medieval Castles of Ireland' by David Sweetman is an extensive book detailing the history and development of Castles throughout Ireland during the Medieval age.

We have one hardback copy for sale on the Charlie Byrne Website for €25 linked here: https://charliebyrne.ie/product/castles_of_ireland/

We are very happy to introduce our good friend Adrian Martyn's magisterial study 'The Surnames of County Galway' which h...
01/08/2026

We are very happy to introduce our good friend Adrian Martyn's magisterial study 'The Surnames of County Galway' which has just been published and runs to 8 volumes of extensive research into the history and lineage of the most common and important family names of County Galway.

There are hundreds of Surnames and their histories included in this very thorough and ambitious work. This project is clearly a labour of love for Adrian and his passion for his subject shines out on every page. He has, in these volumes, contributed hugely to our understanding of Galway's story and we simply must applaud his scholarship and commitment to this unique series over many years. As he says himself, 'The facts of our history matter because we have no other'.

We congratulate him.

When people think of the Irish struggle for independence, they don't normally think of county Roscommon; they typically ...
31/07/2026

When people think of the Irish struggle for independence, they don't normally think of county Roscommon; they typically think of Dublin, the General Post Office and biscuit factories 😉

The actuality is that county Roscommon played a pivotal role in the revolution and the guerilla warfare that resulted in the Anglo-Irish treaty of 1921. 'For Ireland and Freedom' is a classic text, first published in 1964, and it tells the story of this contribution to independence.

We have one copy of the 2nd edition available for sale on the Charlie Byrne Website for €25 linked here: https://charliebyrne.ie/product/ros_2nd/

Ever get the feeling someone is watching you...?From all eras and genres we have collected a window full of faces. Metic...
29/07/2026

Ever get the feeling someone is watching you...?
From all eras and genres we have collected a window full of faces. Meticulously put together over months and months by Charlie from books in the shop and the warehouse, there are countless famous portraits filling up the window shelves. Can you spot anyone you know?

Yesterday was a historical day with a match that resulted in the end of a 75 year wait. In Croke Park, on the 26th of Ju...
27/07/2026

Yesterday was a historical day with a match that resulted in the end of a 75 year wait. In Croke Park, on the 26th of July - Mayo won Sam.

The GAA's founders in 1884 could not have imagined that its headquarters would become such a sporting-icon that could host 80,000 spectators on a match day, and that these grounds would become synonymous with Gaelic Athletic Games.

Croke Park is a stadium that punches far above its weight and is the focal point for the most iconic GAA moments. In its 135 years, it has hosted not just Gaelic games, but international events such as music concerts and Rugby Union games.

But it is not all glory; Croke Park has seen its share of atrocities, tragedies and sorrowful days. Tim Carey's 'Croke Park: A History' is a detailed paperback showcasing the dramas that made this location a legendary field.

We have one copy available for €10 on the Charlie Byrne Website linked here: https://charliebyrne.ie/product/croke-park-a-history/

For this weeks Rare Book of the Week, we have a signed copy of John Healy's 'The Grass Arena'. There are few stories as ...
24/07/2026

For this weeks Rare Book of the Week, we have a signed copy of John Healy's 'The Grass Arena'.

There are few stories as unique as depicted in this book; it lays bare a raw world of brutality and savageness.

Healy began his life with an abusive father, moving onto a stint in the army, a career in boxing and an eventually spiral into alcoholism and homelessness. This leads him to alife in a lawless violent subculture and brawls in the Grass Arena. His fifteen years of homelessness end when he is arrested and sentenced to prison, where he discovers an unlikely talent that saves his life.

We have one signed paperback copy available for €30 on the Charlie Byrne's Website linked here: https://charliebyrne.ie/product/the-grass-arena-signed/

The passing of the torch...We have always been very proud of our hand painted shop signage, originally created by the la...
24/07/2026

The passing of the torch...We have always been very proud of our hand painted shop signage, originally created by the late John Herrick, pictured second. We were very happy to have Paul of Paul McGuigan Signs to beautifully renew and restore the artwork at the front of the shop and breathe new life into our storefront. The skill and talent involved in sign painting is one that we are proud to support and love to see around Galway.

Gulliver's Travels will be 300 years old this year and has truly become a classic of literature. Although not as aged as...
23/07/2026

Gulliver's Travels will be 300 years old this year and has truly become a classic of literature.

Although not as aged as the tale, we have an 113-year-old copy printed by Browne and Nolan Ltd. with accompanying illustrations!

There is one copy for sale on the Charlie Byrne Website for €10 linked here: https://charliebyrne.ie/product/junior-grade-1914/

The phrase "in colour" doesn't have the wow factor it once had😉 But there was a time when that term would be enough to ...
21/07/2026

The phrase "in colour" doesn't have the wow factor it once had😉

But there was a time when that term would be enough to convey quality and expense.

Nevertheless, The Irish Cooking - in Colour, is a fantastic book of traditional Irish recipes such as fish, meat, and vegetable dishes; along with soups, baking, drinks and cocktails.

We have one hardback copy of this book available on the Charlie Byrne Website for €20 linked here: https://charliebyrne.ie/product/irish-cooking-in-colour/

charliebyrnesbookshop We have a copy of "Seige at Jadotville: The Irish Army's Forgotten Battle" by the journalist and s...
20/07/2026

charliebyrnesbookshop We have a copy of "Seige at Jadotville: The Irish Army's Forgotten Battle" by the journalist and solider Declan Power.

The title is now a bit misleading due to the 2016 Netflix Film and the Presidential Unit Citation which was awarded just before the film's release - but there was a time when the insult "Jadotville Jack" was applied disparagingly to Irish soldiers.

The battle involved 156 Irish soldiers engaging more than 3000 well-armed mercenaries and holding them at bay for five days; only surrendering when they had used all their ammunition and water.

We have one copy available for €20 on the Charlie Byrne Website linked here: https://charliebyrne.ie/product/jadotville/

Address

The Cornstore, Middle Street
Galway
H91AH7A

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 6pm
Tuesday 9am - 6pm
Wednesday 9am - 6pm
Thursday 9am - 8pm
Friday 9am - 8pm
Saturday 9am - 6pm
Sunday 11am - 5pm

Telephone

+35391561766

Website

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