Final chapter for Crannóg Bookshop

“And now the undoing begins. The process of unravelling 20 years of a way of working, a way of living, a way of being, has begun,” the Facebook post that presaged the closure of the Crannóg Bookshop opened with that emotional observation.

Five years ago John McEvoy and his wife Anne Connolly were celebrating a Bord Gais Energy Irish Bookshop of the Year for 2011, in the next few days they will be closing a business that has brought joy to many Cavan residents over the last two decades.
Ironically the announcement came through the digital medium, which has had such a dramatic impact on the publishing business. The Crannóg, which has been a part of the Cavan life since 1996, followed up the announcement with a heartfelt explanation to its customers.
“It is no longer viable for a variety of reasons that have as much to do with the changing nature of retail, of what it means to be part of a community and how we socialise and interact, as it has to do with commerce or business,” they say.
Noting the way Cavan, Ireland, society has changed and accepting that closure is just a part of that change is the overall tenor of the post. The bookshop was an anchor for readers in the Cavan community. When it opened, there were no other bookshops in Cavan. Their general bookshop offered fiction, Irish interest, history and children’s literature.
Over the years, The Crannóg has hosted events such as book readings and late night book launchs that has endeared it to a loyal group of patrons. The bookshop has hosted Nuala O’Faolain, Dervla Murphy, Francis Brennan, Eamon Dunphy, Michael Harding, Dermot Healy, Tom MacIntyre, Charlie Bird, John Giles, David McWilliams, Dave Rudden, Siobhan Parkinson, Neven Maguire, Katie Taylor, Jimmy Magee, Mary O’Rourke, Micky Harte, Michael O’Muircheartaigh and many more.
This haven of taste may be closing its doors next week, but it looks as if it will live long in the hearts of many Cavan people.
As the closing statement says: “Now as our retail environment goes through a metamorphosis, it is crucial that town planners, government officials and other decision makers acknowledge and understand this change and take steps to protect and cultivate the townscape as a space, if not so much for trade, then as a community hub where people can meet, entertain, exchange ideas and generally engage with each other in a manner suitable with our changing world. But this requires vision, planning, commitment, and most importantly imagination. Over to you.”