A veritable institution in Galway, and still run with the deftest of personal touches by the Kenny family, this is perfect place to while away a wet West of Ireland afternoon.
The ground floor is given over to new Irish fiction and non-fiction, while the second and third floors are an alcoved jumble of secondhand and antiquarian books. Look long enough and you are sure to find some treasure to bring home to your bookcase. And, if you want to receive a selection of treasures every so often, sign up for Des Keogh's 'Book Hamper' service.
But the Kennys' shop is also a visual treat: every wall in the bookshop, for instance, is covered with autographied photographs of famous Irish and international writers who have visited the shop. Downstairs, and on the upstairs mezzazine, there is a small art gallery, usually exhibiting the work of a contemporary Irish or international visual artist or sculptor.