About The Shop

Charlie Byrne arrived in Galway in 1988 to work on the archaeological excavation in what is now the Eyre Square shopping Centre. He had always had the idea that he would like to open a bookshop and as he had been a student in UCG in the 1970’s, Galway looked like the perfect fit. Thus, he began to tentatively sell books in the West End trading market in Munster Avenue and, suitably encouraged by this experience, he opened a small shop in Dominick Street, two doors down from the ‘Galway Arms’ in the premises now run by Gallagher Barbers, in 1989. Vinny Browne joined the operation shortly afterwards and in 1992 the business moved to No. 4 Middle St from where the ‘Kappa Ya’ restaurant now operates. After successfully consolidating itself at this premises for a further 3 years, the shop moved to its current location across the road in the Cornstore, during the long hot summer of 1995.

Charlie Byrne’s has expanded over the years in the Cornstore and now occupies 6 separate rooms and houses a stock of over 100,000 books on every conceivable subject and has become one of the most cherished retail and cultural spaces in the city.

Located in the heart of Galway city, Charlie Byrne’s flagship shop on Middle Street (beside Milano Restaurant) is just around the corner from Shop Street, the city’s main pedestrian thoroughfare. Middle Street runs parallel to Shop Street, so our location couldn’t be more central: we’re easy to find, and our shop is a stone’s throw away from Galway’s Latin Quarter, as well as lots of the city’s great pubs, hotels, and other attractions.


Charlie Byrne’s Middle Street shop is packed with over 100,000 new, bargain and secondhand books. We’ve got titles on just about any subject you can imagine: from unusual literary fiction to cars and motoring, and from craft, art technique and DIY to history, politics and philosophy.


Deliveries of secondhand and remaindered books arrive from the warehouse nearly every day, so there’s always something new to be found on our shelves. Plus, our Middle Street shop stocks new books – including new but hard-to-get titles on topics of Irish interest – and we always do our best to have a selection of the latest bestsellers on hand.