Sheelagh na Gig: Books Coffee Gifts Wholefoods in Cloughjordan

A photo of a white circle of a blue sheela-na-gig shape surround by text in a seanchló font (old-style Gaelic letters) in English on top and Gaeilge on the bottom saying Sheelagh na Gig Síle na gCioch (except there's no letter h because it's seanchló, so there's a dot over the letter C at the end of the word.

Our bookshop logo, based on the dancer sheela from the other side of Borrisokane. Merging ancient symbol with modern queer art: name the artist who inspired the style, anyone? (No, we're not the women from Sheela na Gig bookshop in Galway, but their (long closed) shop partly inspired our name.)

That's our Sheelagh! We'll spotted.

Colourful flowers in a large flowerpot in front of a grey wall. The flowers include marigolds, lobelia, and Canterbury bells.

The weather says Ireland but the flower pots say summer.☁️🌧️🌦️🌥️

The winner of the 2025 Orwell Prize for Political Fiction is Donal Ryan, for Heart, Be at Peace.

"For its clarity. For its perfectly pitched voices. For its humanity and kindness." - Jim Crace, Chair of Judges

Congratulations, Donal! 🎉

@doubledaybooks.bsky.social

A small brown wicker basket is on a black worktop. In the basket, from left to right, are Naitonal Book Tokens vouchers that say Claim a free 5 National Book Token. In the middle are read with Pride booksmarks. At the right is a handwritten sign that says Free Stickers. On top of that are some stickers that say I love my local bookshop. There's a heart image in place of the word love.

The best place to find your next LGBTQIA+ favourite book is at your local, independent bookshop! Celebrate even more by picking up a High Five voucher for a free €5 National Book Token. Have a safe, happy, inclusive, empowered Pride! #nationalbooktokens
#independentbookshopweek #ReadwithPride

Do you sell any of your designs as greeting cards? We'd be interested in stocking them if so! Cards fly out for us, but prints and larger artworks go slowly unless it's Christmas.

A poster of the details of the Cloughjordan Playground Awareness Family Fun Day. (All key details are in the text of this post.)

Join us! Liz is hosting storytime at 1pm at the Cloughjordan Playground Awareness Family Fun Day this Sunday at St Kieran's Hall. Event starts at noon: Fun on the Farm activities, professional face painting, Cloughjordan fire tender, live music, refreshments and the playground plans displayed. FUN!

A multi-coloured poster for the Cloughjordan Circus Club Circus Picnic.

A person holds up a copy of the book If I Ran the Circus in front of their face below a black hat covered in dyed ostrich feathers. There are full bookcases behind.

Circus Picnic tomorrow Sat 7 June with Cloughjordan Circus Club. And Liz will be reading If I Ran the Circus at 1.15pm for storytime. Part of Cruinniú na nÓg.

A black background. A film still from the film Dancing with Strangers: From Palestine to Ireland. Still by Dylan Kendle. The text below the image says: Saturday 24 May 1.30pm Sheelagh na Gig Bookshop Cloughjordan, Tipperary. A day of dance duets, film, and readings in support of the people of Palestine by Instant Dissidence supported by Sheelagh na Gig Bookshop. Part of Feminist Book Fortnight.

A red background. A drawing of the four dancers in Gaza. The text says: A dancer with outstretched arms wears a t-shirt that says ‘Dance with Me.’ Will you accept their invitation? A dancer with outstretched arms wears a t-shirt that says ‘Dance with Me.’ Will you accept their invitation? Gaza-based dancers Agour, Just, Khaled and Maryam have been remote-working with Instant Dissidence’s Artistic Director Rita Marcalo to create dance duets that they would like to perform with people in Ireland, as a choreographic act of resistance. As they cannot be present in Ireland, ‘body avatars’ from the Irish dance community dance for each Palestinian dancer in their original duet. Through them (and the exchanged gift of dance) Agour, Just, Khaled and Maryam are going to ask you to dance: they want their voices to be heard and their bodies to be felt. Saturday 24 May 1.30pm Sheelagh na Gig Bookshop Cloughjordan Tipperary. Portraits of the dancers Khaled, Maryam, Agour and Just. Credits: JAL.

A green background. An collage of pictures of dancers involved. Text says: From 1.30pm on Saturday, 24 May, you are invited to dance with one of the Instant Dissidence dancers, who are stand-ins for each Gaza-based dancer. When you participate, the dancers first hand you a set of 4 cards: each card contains brief information on each Gaza-based dancer, and a child’s drawing (to protect their identities) of a portrait photo sent to Instant Dissidence by them. You choose which dancer to dance with from that set of cards, and we hand you a set of headphones with the audio created by your chosen dancer. As you listen, you find yourself dancing with that dancer (through one of us) to the music of their choice, and listening to their personal story.

A black background. Across the top images of three books: The text below the images says: From 3pm to 4pm on Saturday, 24 May, various participants will read extracts from featured books by Palestinian authors: Namesake: Reflections on a Warrior Woman by NS Nuseibeh, The Hollow Half by Sarah Aziza, and Thyme Travellers: An Anthology of Paletinian Speculative Fiction edited by Sonia Sulaiman. Saturday 24 May 1.30pm Sheelagh na Gig Bookshop Cloughjordan Tipperary

Dancing with Strangers: From Palestine to Ireland. A choreographic act of resistance with four dancers from Gaza and Instant Dissidence. A dancer with outstretched arms asks, 'Will you dance with me?' Do you accept their invitation?

A dark red background. Top left if the cover of the book After the Train: Irishwomen United and a Network of Change. Below that are two logos: feminist book fortnight and Sheelagh na Gig bookshop. The text on the image says: We can thank the women of Irish Women United for pints in bars, swims at the Forty Foot, access to birth control, and much more. After the Train documents the excitement, dedication, and determination of the women of Irish Women United, who were key in making Ireland a better place for women.

After the Train: Irishwomen United and a Network of Change is on our shelves just in time for Feminist Book Fortnight. So many women who went on to set up important organisations in Irish society, such as the first Rape Crisis Centre and Open Door Counselling, having a great effect on Irish society.

The image says Storytime! Wednesday, 23 April, 4.00pm. Below is the cover of the book Jenny Peckles Lays Eggs with Speckles. There's a red background with a white, sparkly egg and a hen sitting on top of it. Below the book cover is the logo for Sheelagh na Gig bookshop.

A poster in Irish. Deir an póstaer Am scéalaíochta! Dé Céadaoin, An 23 Aibreán, 4.00in. Tá griangraf air don leabhar Rita agus an Róbat. Tá cailín agus róbat greannmhar sa phictiúr. Tá a lógó don siopa leabhar Sheelagh na Gig ag bun don phóstaer.

Am scéalaíochta! Dé Céadaoin, An 23 Aibreán, 4.00in, Cloch Shiurdáin, Tiobraid Árann. Leifimid dhá leabhar: Jenny Peckles Lays Eggs with Speckles (as Béarla) agus Rita agus an Róbat (as Gaeilge agus, tar éis, as Béarla). Tá fáilte roimh chách, agus tá sé saor in aisce. 💙📚 #speirghorm #leabhargaeilge

A poster that says Storytime! Wednesday, 23 April, 4.00pm. There's a picture of the cover of the book Jenny Peckles Lays Eggs with Speckles. It's a red background with a large white-with-speckles egg and a chicken sitting on top. Below is the logo for Sheelagh na Gig bookshop.

A poster in Irish. Deir sé Am scéalaíochta! Dé Céadaoin, An 23 Aibreán, 4.00in. Tá griangraf don leabhar Rita agus an Róbat ann. Tá cailín ann agus róbat greannmhar. Tá an lógó don siopa leabhar Sheelagh na Gig ag bun an phóstaeir.

Storytime! We'll be reading Jenny Peckles Lays Eggs with Speckles (in English) and Rita agus an Róbat (in Irish first and English after.) Everyone is welcome, and storytime is free! This Wednesday at 4pm in Cloughjordan's favourite bookshop. 💙📚

#speirghorm #booksky #discoveririshkidsbooks

A poster that says Our April sale ends Easter Monday 21 April open 1pm to 6pm. At the bottom is a photo of a bookshop. The sign says bookshop coffee gifts wholefoods. There is a pale Easter egg background with pale yellow, pink, and green zigzag stripes.

We're open Easter Monday from 1pm to 6pm, and it's the last day of our April sale! Selected books are 20% off, children's hardbacks 25% off, and secondhand books €1 each or 6 for €5! Do drop by.

A ginger cat sits in the sun on a wooden table. In front of her, on the table, is a copy of Thyme Travellers: An Anthology of Palestinian Speculative Fiction. Her tail caresses the spine.

Pom Cat invites you to sit in the sun and read Thyme Travellers: An Anthology of Palestinian Speculative Fiction. Good afternoon!

We're all guilty of leaning into Amazon when needs must, but we need to wean ourselves off old, difficult habits, now more than ever.

If you read this, share a cool Irish business, designer, craftsperson or indie retailer we can support instead, and let's get a list together.

#spéirghorm #Ireland

A bright green square. At the top, it says we are open St Patrick's Day, Monday 17 March, from 1pm to 6pm. There is a photo of the front of Sheelagh na Gig bookshop. Beneath the photo, it says Sheelagh na Gig books and wholefoods Cloughjordan Co Tipperary. The green background is quite acid and garish, and that's us saying it. But it's eye-catching.

We will be open bank holiday Monday, St Patrick's Day, from 1pm to 6pm, as always? After the parades, sessions, céilí, and pints, you'll need a good book... especially if you're looking at this green background after a few.

The cover of the book Together Standing Tall: 150 years of Irish Rugby. The main photo is a colour photo of the Ireland rugby team celebrating a win. Beneath are 5 black-and- white photos of key rugby moments, including one of the women's team with the cup celebrating a win. Well done them.

Irish bookshops: does anyone have a copy of 9781804580547, Together Standing Tall, in stock that they can post to a customer? Let us know and we'll pass your details on. (Gill isn't reprinting any time soon.) #speirghorm #speirgorm #IrishBookselling

Happy #WorldBookDay! We welcome school visits today, which means we reconfigure the shop! The children's section triples in size as the books spread out, and our food hall gets transformed into World Book Day book central. We get to do it all again tomorrow, too!

If there is a better book title in the history of children's books, I don't know it. Here's my new favourite book!

#sleeptightdisgustingblob #hewaaron #childrensbooks #lovereading #cloughjordan #shoplocal 💙📚 #spéirghorm

A photo of a proof copy of the book A Family Matter. A yellow frame on the cover surrounds a black and white photo of a woman holding a baby in front of a pram in a park. The book is on a bright floral background, white with pinks, yellows and turquoise.

Looking forward to the publication of A Family Matter in May. Read it in one sitting.

1982. Dawn is a young mother when Hazel lights up her world. But she has a daughter. 2022. Heron has news from his doctor. Telling his only child seems impossible, as is telling her other secrets.

🌱 We're Hiring! Feasta is looking for a Part-Time Project Coordinator for a brand new project on strengthening local food economies in Ireland in partnership with Cultivate and Talamh Beo.

⌛7 hrs/week | €20/hr
📍 Mostly remote with occasional in-person meetings
📅 Apply by Feb 14th

A photo of three items in a black worktop with bookcases in the background. Flat on the worktop in the lower right corner is a 4-arm Brigid's cross. Standing within two of the arms is a deck of Brigid oracle cards. Behind, on a wooden book stand, is a copy of Glorious Goddesses of Ancient Ireland, which is a children's book highlighting ancient Irish goddesses.

Yes, we are open Brigid's bank holiday Monday (and every bank holiday outside of December.) we are looking forward to the spring that Brigid's Day heralds -- and to our new Brigid's cross, which is traditionally made for us by a customer. Last year's cross is still looking good, though!

A photo of a hardback edition of How Democracy Ends by David Runciman. The title is in black, the background is white, and there is red detail on small text. A little sign on it quotes the Evening Standard: Scary, but in a good way.

A prescient classic -- How Democracy Ends by David Runciman. Not sure I agree with the Evening Standard's 'Scary, but in a good way'. I'd plumb for a simple terrifying, myself.

#HowDemocracyEnds 📚💙

An clúdach don leabhar Eilifint Óg agus an Folcadán. Tá eilifint beag i bhfolcadán le bréagáin folctha. The cover of the book Eilifint Óg agus an Folcadán. There is a drawing of a small elephant in a bath with bathtoys.

An phictiúr ar chúl den leabhar Eilifint Óg agus an Folcadán. Tá eilifint beag i tuáille le cúpla bréagáin folctha agus tá cuir síos ar an leabhar ann. The picture on the back of Eilifint Óg agus an Folcadán. It's a small elephant in a towel with a few bath toys.

Is aoibhinn linn Eilifint Óg agus an Folcadán! Thaitin uisce go mór le hEilifint Óg. Ar thaitin an folcadán leis? Cad a cheapann tú??

Eilifint Óg loves water lots. But does he love a bath? With interesting pictures and a clever idea, children and parents will love this story. #spéirghorm

Delighted to meet author and historian Dr Patrick J O'Connor, who was in with his latest book about Arthur and Maud Griffith.

Arthur & Maud Griffith: The Love of Ireland

#irishhistory #cloughjordan #speirghorm #speirgorm
#lovereading 📚💙

‘It was exactly like Paul Lynch’s Prophet Song': A Belarusian story of survival and hope The novel depicts an Ireland descending into dictatorship – but Lynch’s dystopian vision reads less like speculation and more like my lived experience, writes Sasha Romanova.

Belarus: 'It was exactly like Paul Lynch's Prophet Song' by journalist Sasha Romanova www.thejournal.ie/readme/belar...

Grianghraf don irisleabhar Comhar Eanáir 2025. Tá sé ar cúntóir dubh, agus tá seilfeanna leabhra ar chúl an iris.

Tá an t-eagrán úr nua de Comhar ar an tseilf anois. #IrisComhar #GaeilgeBeo

A photo of a snow covered table outside a bookshop.

Nothing says 'open' like tables outside. In the snow. (And we are open. The joys of village living -- you can walk everywhere, even in snow.) #sneachta

#Sneachta! It's a snowy Cloughjordan.

A 1kg bag of muesli in a transparent bag on a bookshelf surrounded by history books.

Found in our history section just now. Happy Christmas! There will not be breakfast because you left it in the bookshop.