The announcement was made on Friday morning.
Dublin's Chapters bookstore has announced that they will be closing their doors permanently in 2022.
The news came via the second hand bookshop's Twitter account on Friday morning (29 October).
https://twitter.com/chaptersbooks/status/1454002198254346242?s=20
"Announcement: After 40 years in business @chaptersbooks will close its doors early in 2022", wrote the account.
The public was quick to express their disbelief and sadness at the news, with thousands of retweets and messages being shared online. Tributes began pouring in from both readers and authors alike.
"I used to shop in Chapters every week. I LOVED secondhand bookstores- still do. You never know what gem you’ll find hidden away on a shelf somewhere…", wrote
Derek Landy, author of the Skulduggery Pleasant series.
@TheIrishFor manager and 'Motherfoclóir' author Darach Ó Séaghdha
tweeted: "We've lost too much in Dublin city - this is just heartbreaking."
"My heart breaks. @chaptersbooks is a wonderful Dublin institution where I spent many happy hours. Fantastic staff & an amazing secondhand (beloved for the hidden gems!) & new section", wrote young adult fiction writer Sarah Rees Brennan.
"I believe there are signed books of mine there now: I’ll see when I go bid farewell, buy & cry."
Chapters is the number one trending topic in Ireland at the time of writing.
William Kinsella, owner of Chapters, was quick to thank those for their support in response to the recent news.
"Incredible to see such support already. A sincere thank you to you all for your custom over 40 years in business.
"We are truly grateful."
The closure of Chapters follows news this week of other similar cultural spaces being closed in Dublin, most recently the Merchant's Arch, the Science Gallery on Trinity College Dublin's campus, and the
addition of a hotel to the Cobblestone pub's building.
Main Image from Chapters Bookstore / Twitter.com
