Our Independent Book Stores are located in Waterford, Wexford, Kilkenny and Naas, Ireland. The Book Centre has been in business since 1971 and is a family owned and run local Irish Company. Each of our unique stores are very different to each other. They all offer a large range of books, children's books, school books, magazines, greeting cards, gifts, and stationery. There is an in-store Cafe in all our shops where our customers can relax and browse the latest books. Read more about our stores, the history of our shops, awards and reviews here
The Waterford Store is located in Waterford City, and is housed in the old Art Deco styled Savoy Cinema which was built in 1937. The screen, stage, ceiling and many other cinema features can still be seen on a visit to the store. The photo below from the Annie Brophy Collection shows the Savoy in 1953. You can read more about the Savoy, and Cinema in Waterford in Architecture Ireland's online article "When the Lights Go Down - Waterford's Love Affair with Cinema". Read more about our stores here
The Wexford store is located on South Main Street in Wexford Town. The building dates back to 1775 and was one used as a Bishops Palace. This spacious store has three floors including an in-store Cafe on the top floor.
The Kilkenny Store is located on the High Street of Kilkenny City. The building is of historic significance and was originally a terraced three-bay three-storey house built in 1790, possibly incorporating fabric of earlier house from 1550. In use as an inn, 1816. Renovated in 1900 with a shopfront inserted to ground floor. The building is listed in the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. The Book Centre, Kilkenny was selected in The Irish Times
Top 100 Best Shops in Ireland 2016.
The newest of our stores built in 2005 and located on Poplar Square right in the middle of Naas Town. This modern store has three floors and a cafe that overlooks the square. On entering the store you cannot miss the gigantic wall mural that starts at the ground floor and continues to the top floor ceiling. The Mural is called "The Journey" and was painted by renowned Irish Artist, Patrick Randall. Patrick describes how the visitor "undertakes a journey physically and spiritually when visiting each floor" and that "It is difficult to convey the scale of this mural.. which is possibly the largest modern mural in Europe". In October 2018, Barker & Jones, was awarded 'Book Shop of the Year' at The 1st Irish Independent Retail Awards 2018.
"Pick up a paper and take a pew in The Book Centre, a browsable bookshop cum café in an old art deco building , once home to the Savoy Cinema,whose screen and stage features have been retained....(buy a book)...order a latte, and read it upstairs in Poppy’s café where lingering is encouraged"
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In October 2018, Barker & Jones, was awarded 'Book Shop of the Year' at The 1st Irish Independent Retail Awards 2018.
