Two Mayo bookshops receive funding to bring new projects to life
Castle Books in Castlebar and Pangur Bán Bookshop in Ballina are among 23 independent stores awarded support through €100,000 Community Prize Fund
Two independent bookshops in Mayo are set to benefit from a national funding initiative aimed at strengthening the role of bookshops as community spaces.
Castle Books in Castlebar, and Pangur Bán Bookshop in Ballina, have been named among the recipients of the Books at One Community Prize Fund 2026. Both bookshops will receive grants of up to €5,000.
The €100,000 initiative was established through The One Foundation in 2025 to help independent bookstores in developing creative projects and activities that bring local communities together.
This year’s fund will support 23 bookshops across 14 counties, with successful applicants including both new recipients and stores returning after receiving funding in 2025.
Last year’s funded projects included storytelling events, creative workshops and youth programmes. Bookshops used the financial support to create new ways for people to connect through books, learning and creativity.
Eoghan Stack, Chairperson of The One Foundation, said the initiative had highlighted the importance of independent bookshops in communities.
“When the Books at One Community Prize Fund launched in 2025, we hoped it would give booksellers an opportunity to try new avenues to creatively engage with their local community and it’s proven to be a huge success,” he said.
“This year, the fund will support 23 independent shops across 14 counties, helping independent bookshops integrate a love of reading into a real community way of life.”
He added that the value of independent bookshops extends beyond the books on their shelves.
“The power of a good indie bookshop is not just about what’s on the shelves alone but about those who work there and those who visit on the regular, making it an important fixture of communities.”
Castle Books in Castlebar and Pangur Bán Bookshop in Ballina will now use the funding to develop new initiatives aimed at engaging with their local communities.
Further information on the projects will be available through Books at One.