A Dublin literary institution
Founded in 1768 at 10 Skinner’s Row, now Christchurch Place, Hodges Figgis is probably the third-oldest working bookshop in the world, behind only the Livraria Bertrand in Lisbon (1732) and a Moravian shop in Pennsylvania. It’s Ireland’s oldest bookshop still trading. Over the centuries it moved around the city centre several times before arriving on Dawson Street in 1979 and expanding into its current premises at 56–58 Dawson Street in 1992. It holds about 70,000 titles, which adds up to something like a million individual volumes.
One honest note before you build a pilgrimage around it: this is a Waterstones-owned shop now, not an antiquarian treasure house. Most of what’s on the shelves is what you’d find in any large modern bookshop. What sets it apart is the depth of its Irish coverage and the building itself, near Trinity College and long woven into the city’s literary life, name-checked by James Joyce and still cited in contemporary fiction. It keeps its own loyalty stamp card, roughly a stamp per €10 spent, separate from the Waterstones scheme.
Browsing the floors
The layout rewards slow browsing across four floors. The ground floor is the one to give time to: the Irish department is here, an extensive run of poetry, drama, folklore, history and contemporary fiction that’s reckoned one of the most comprehensive Irish sections anywhere, alongside a dedicated ‘Irish Room’ for Irish literature and history. Upstairs runs to bestsellers, a notable travel section (with deck chairs to sit and browse the maps), and academic titles in history, philosophy, politics and the sciences for the nearby university crowd. There’s a children’s section and a bargain basement worth a rummage. On the staircases hang portraits of Yeats, Wilde, Beckett and Joyce, a reminder of whose city this is.
Events and the loyalty card
Staff here know Irish publishing well and are happy to point you somewhere good. The stamp card rewards regular visits with money off, and through the year the shop runs a steady calendar of author talks, book launches and reading groups, often featuring emerging Irish writers alongside established names. Check the website or call ahead, as dates vary. It also runs a student bookshop out at Dublin City University.
If there’s one time to avoid, it’s the run-up to Christmas, when the shop is packed. A quiet winter weekday is the opposite, and about as pleasant as bookshop browsing gets in Dublin.
Practical Information
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Address | 56-58 Dawson Street, Dublin 2 |
| Phone | 01-677-4754 |
| Website | hodgesfiggis.ie |
| Opening Hours | Mon–Wed & Fri 9am–7pm, Thu 9am–8pm, Sat 9am–6pm, Sun noon–6pm. Hours may vary at holidays; verify before visiting. |
| Admission | Free entry |
| Accessibility | Street-level entrance; a lift serves the upper floors |
Getting There
- By Foot: A short walk south from Trinity College along Nassau Street to Dawson Street. The distinctive green façade is easily spotted.
- By Luas: St Stephen’s Green stop on the Green Line is about a six-minute walk away.
- By Bus: Multiple city centre routes stop on Dawson Street or nearby Grafton Street.
Extending your literary walk
Dawson Street sits at the edge of Dublin’s historic core, so it’s easy to string together with other stops. The Abbey Theatre is about ten minutes’ walk, and for Irish manuscripts and rare books the Chester Beatty Library on the Dublin Castle grounds holds one of the world’s finest collections. Both pair well with a morning on Dawson Street’s shelves.
For the shop itself, the move is simple: come on a quiet weekday morning, head straight for the ground-floor Irish section, and give it more time than you planned to.