This Independent Irish Bookshop Has You Sorted For Christmas
The Lilliput Press is one of Ireland’s leading independent publishers. Founded in 1984 and now tucked away in the the streets of Stoneybatter, Lilliput has spent four decades championing Irish voices, from literary giants like James Joyce and J.P. Donleavy to some of the most talented contemporary writers of today like Donal Ryan and Martina Devlin. Lilliput’s shelves brim with the best of Irish history, memoir, fiction and cultural writing, all rooted in a deep respect for originality, craft and a deep respect for Irish authors.
This Interim Time, Oona Frawley
Christmas can be an incredibly hard time for anyone who’s lost a loved one. This book is a thoughtful gift for those who might struggle with this time of year. This Interim Time is a profoundly moving exploration of love, loss, and memory. Oona Frawley writes with honesty and tenderness about her mother’s dementia, a friend’s battle with cancer, and her own family life. As Lilliput’s website puts it, this book asks the questions: “How do we live when our loved ones are dying? How do we make sense of the world in their wake? And how do we balance love in the present with memory of the past?” This is ultimately a book about love, both in life and beyond the grave. Find out more here.
The Story of Tayto, Bobby Aherne
We’d struggle to find someone in this country who isn’t familiar with our unofficial national icon. This is the perfect secret Santa gift. From a tiny factory in Dublin in 1954, Joe ‘Spud’ Murphy’s Tayto crisps grew into an Irish icon and a beloved part of our culture. Historian Bobby Aherne tells all parts of the story from, the invention of cheese and onion flavour to hand-packed packets, Mr Tayto’s election campaign, the search for Mrs Tayto, and the ups and downs of Tayto Park. Every €1 from each copy sold going to support the charity, Alone. Find out more here.
To Avenge a Dead Glacier, Shane Tivenan
This collection of short stories is great for someone who loves reading. Shane Tivenan is an exciting new voice in Irish fiction and winner of the RTÉ Francis McManus Short Story Prize and the John McGahern Award. To Avenge a Dead Glacier is a debut collection full of humour, tension, and heart, following rural Irish outsiders: artists, singers, queer people, the gifted, the neurodivergent, and anyone living on the edges of life. From a man at a glacier’s funeral in Iceland to a woman battling hallucinations on her 92nd birthday, these stories are vivid, surprising, and full of the small, messy details that make life what it is. Find out more here.
Irish Names, Donnchadh Ó Corráin
Do you know someone expecting a baby soon, or perhaps is simply interested in their Irish heritage? This is the gift for them. Irish Names dives into Ireland’s rich naming heritage, featuring nearly a thousand authentic names drawn from early medieval annals, genealogies, mythology, and literature. This text is curated by scholars Donnchadh Ó Corráin and Fidelma Maguire and gives each name’s historical context, meaning, linguistic origins, anglicised forms, and links to saints, kings, or legendary figures. Find out more here.
The Dublin Coffee Guide, Paddy Kirk
Again, this one is perfect for a secret Santa (because who doesn’t love coffee?). Paddy Kirk has visited the best independent cafés across Dublin, met with the people behind them, and captured what makes each one place special. Dublin’s coffee scene is here and thriving, this book lets you know the places worth making the trip for. Find out more here.
