Couple start new chapter
PRE-LOVED Indie bookshop opens on Main Street
Candlelight Bookshop opened its doors yesterday and marked an amazing turnaround in fortunes for Paddy and Jess Fitzhenry.
The Cavan couple were amongst the many whose livelihoods were hit by the pandemic, and with this life-changing news, they set about opening their own business.
“At the start of the year we both lost our jobs due to Covid, so that lit a fire under us,” recalls Paddy, who has worked in corporate retail for his entire career. “Covid has pushed a lot of people into that headspace of: you only live once, let’s do it! Putting things on the long finger is no good after a while, either do it now or never.”
The county town hasn’t had an independent bookshop since the closure of Crannóg Bookshop in 2017. Many believe the sector’s best days are behind it. However, the Fitzhenrys - who have two sons Adam and Ben - have noticed a recent trend of people moving away from ebooks and back into the real thing.
“Indie bookshops especially seem to have had a rise in popularity,” reports Paddy. “That got us looking into it, and saw there had been five years of growth in the indie market.
“People seem to have gone full circle and are going back to the smaller bookshop – the more romantic element of rooting through the shelves of an old bookshop rather than the big box retailer, or online retailer.”
The majority of the Candlelight’s stock is ‘pre-loved’ or second hand.
“We wanted to go with affordability, and eco-friendly, so books aren’t going to landfill,” says Jess. “I think it’s a nice story as well, getting a book that someone else read and enjoyed.”
Eager to not be in competition with charity shops, they have struck a mutually beneficial deal with St Vincent de Paul’s as one source of quality books. They intend to stock new books by independent Irish authors in the future, and longer term they may broaden it further.
“We might expand into new releases eventually, but I just don’t see us being in a position to compete with the likes of Eason and all yet.”
However, Paddy is eager to sweep aside any preconceived notions you may have of second hand bookshops.
“There’s a real focus on the ambiance of the shop. It’s not like the old clichéd second hand bookshop, with dusty shelves,” he says, swiftly adding he understands the appeal of such places.
“The ambiance comes from the music, the lighting, the atmosphere of the store and making sure everything looks right – everything’s not thrown together.
“The books have been well cared for, we’re not stocking any rubbish.”
The Wexford native laughingly admits he has had to “unlearn” some of his corporate retail know-how and focus more on giving the shop “more charm”.
Paddy acknowledges the store is on the petite side, but is eager to stress it’s a first step.
“This is genuinely in our minds only a start for what it could become. This is the best we could do under the current circumstances. That’s the way we’re looking at it, it’s not our final goal at all.”
Jess's favourite recent Irish book: Snowflake by Louise Nealon. It's about a teenager growing up, going to college leaving a small country village, being scary – there's mental health issues. I definitely recommend it.
Paddy's favourite modern classic: Espedair Street by Iain Banks. It's about a musician in Glasgow who was previously successful and the struggle s he's dealing with now.
Jess's all time favourite: The Lion the Witch and he Wardrobe by CS Lewis. It was so magical, it takes you on a real journey.
Paddy's all time favourite: Mr Galliano's Circus by Enid Blyton. The circus comes to a boy's hometown and he becomes part of it. That's the book that got me into reading, it's fantastic.
Their shelves are dominated by contemporary fiction and crime “because they are the big sellers” but they also hope to develop their range of specialist books, art, Irish history, biographies, self help, philosophy, etc.
“It will constantly evolve based on what the public want. We want it to be the town’s bookshop – they can decide what we stock.”
The pair are excited by their new venture, and for Jess in particular this is the fulfilment of a lifelong ambition.
“It’s definitely a dream come true,” Jess tells the Celt, her Dublin roots barely detectable. “And being your own boss as well is very nice. It’s been hard work so far but I think it will be worth it in the end.”
They admit to having a new found respect for business owners.
“It’s taking off the safety net and opening up our own store – there’s no one else to rely on but ourselves. It’s daunting but we are cautiously optimistic. That’s the way we look upon it: if you don’t give it a try you’ll never know.”