Welcome to Kinsale Bookshop

Kinsale Bookshop was established in 1998 in one of the town's oldest buildings. The shop was built near the old Water Gate and had a cellar where fish were stored which is still there today. We have maintained the old features such as the flooring, the low ceilings and thick walls which give the bookshop much of its charm. We have recently added a decking area at the back of the shop where, weather permitting, customers can enjoy a cup of coffee. We sell postcards, maps, new books and lots more, specializing in Fiction, Cookery, History, Children's books and Poetry amongst others.

We hold a monthly open-mic poetry evening on the first Friday of every month at 8pm and also put on regular readings, signings and book launches throughout the year. Our staff is friendly and knowledgeable about books and we are open seven days a week throughout the year.

Matthew Geden is the proprietor of the shop. He was born and brought up in the Midlands of England, moving to Kinsale in 1990. He studied English Literature at University College Cork before moving into bookselling, initially working for Waterstones at the university. Matthew reads a wide range of books and is particularly interested in fiction, poetry and sporting biographies.

His first full-length collection of poetry, Swimming to Albania, was published in 2009 and he has had poems published in many magazines and journals throughout Ireland and abroad. He is also a keen runner.