A new chapter for Chapters ...

Words like institution, gem, foremost, important, stalwart are words constantly bandied around, but with no real sense of weight or gravitas. After 40 years in business as an independent bookseller, with a hugely extensive, eclectic range of new and secondhand books, Chapters announced in October that we would be closing our doors in Parnell Street, January 31st, 2022. The response to this news was both shocking and gratifying; people contacted us from around the world to express their affection for the store and disappointment that we would be going, customers queued down the street to load shopping trollies with treasures that they found on our shelves and tables.

As always, Ireland likes to buck a trend and contrary to widespread opinion, we as a nation still love books and bookshops ... so as breaking up is hard to do, Chapters will reopen on Friday 11th March.

Willie Kinsella, founder, mentor and secret bibliophile really does want to retire and spend more time reading books, rather than working on them, so he has sold the store to his protégées, Kevin Neary and Michael Finucane, co-founders, and former directors of GameStop Ireland. In a perfect example of the circular economy, Neary and Finucane opened their first shop in a 50 square meter space at the back of Chapters old store in Middle Abbey Street – 25 years of friendship, admiration and shared understanding of retail and championing customer choice have come home again.

Although vastly experienced in retail and retail environments, the new directors believe the secret to Chapters continued success will be to leave it alone; investment will be made in improving the IT infrastructure and stock visibility systems, plus converting the website for ecommerce.