Secondhand and Antiquarian Bookshops in the UK and Republic of Ireland
News:
New listing Book Aid Templepatrick
New shop Causeway Books Bushmills (was The Bookshop Coleraine).
New listing The Secret Bookshelf Carrickfergus
New listing Faith Mission Bookshop Ballymena
New listing Castle Black Books Ballycastle
Open at advertised times
Phone before travelling
Appointment necessary
Status unknown, update requested
We do our best to make sure these details are correct and up-to-date. However we recommend that you contact bookshops before making a special journey.
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Book Aid/TEMPLEPATRICK/44 Rickamore Road Upper Ballyclare
Book Aid
44 Rickamore Road Upper Ballyclare TEMPLEPATRICK BT39 0JE
map
tel:
028 9443 2061, mob: 079 66466 996 e-mail web
Open: Monday 10.00 - 4.00, Wednesday 11.00 - 4.00, Saturday by appointment
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Supporting a Christian charity with stock very strong or exclusively on Christian theology. Cards or cheques only.
Castle Black Books/BALLYCASTLE/41b Castle Street
Castle Black Books
41b Castle Street BALLYCASTLE BT54 6AS
map
Open: Tuesday 12.00 - 5.00, Friday 11.00 - 6.00, Saturday 10.00 - 3.00
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Second-hand and also some new books. The stock includes vintage and unusual volumes.
Castle Black Books first opened in the attractive seaside town of Ballycastle in November 2023. It quickly gained an enviable reputation for its good-quality and quirky second-hand stock. But it also acquired a less enviable reputation for being very erratic in its opening hours, and it appeared to take several long breaks when it failed to open at all. I held off from adding the shop to TBG because, many months ago, just as I was about to do so, it embarked on a protracted period of inactivity. But now the owners have announced that the hiatus is at an end and the shop has reopened. Seeking to address the criticisms over unreliability, they say: "We hope to add more opening hours soon, but at the minute we only want to commit to the days we are sure we can open its doors." Those hours are given above.
Castle Black is located in the cellar of the BeBop Barbershop, in the town centre. The range of books is wide, from modern paperback fiction to vintage and rare volumes, including some idiosyncratic and esoteric titles. Ballycastle is at the north-eastern tip of Northern Ireland. The nearest railway station is 16 miles away at Ballymoney; Coleraine railway station is about 20 miles away. The bus connections are better from Coleraine (routes 171/171b, 172, 178/178b and 402/402a); from Ballymoney, take the 178 or 178b. Ballycastle can also be reached by bus from Ballymena (131, 217), Bushmills (172, 402/402a), and Carnlough and Cushendall (162a; Monday-Friday only). Booker T 06.08.25
Causeway Books/BUSHMILLS/102 Main Street
Causeway Books
102 Main Street BUSHMILLS BT57 8QD
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tel:
07776 075176 
Open: Monday - Saturday 10.00 - 5.00
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General stock, including books on Irish/local interest.
The proprietors of The Bookshop in Coleraine closed their business there in 2022, after 18 years, and moved here, eight miles up the road. So now there are two reasons to visit this small village, home to the famous Old Bushmills Distillery. Booker T 03.03.24
Faith Mission Bookshop/BALLYMENA/57 High Street
Faith Mission Bookshop
57 High Street BALLYMENA BT43 6DT
map
tel:
028 2564 9443 e-mail web
Open: Tuesday - Saturday 9.00 - 5.00 (sometimes closes from 12.30 to 1.00)
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Large and long-established Christian bookshop. Mostly new books, but also a second-hand section.
Of the ten Faith Mission bookshops, only this one in Ballymena has a significant second-hand stock. This is quite a recent innovation and the aim is to increase the number of second-hand books for sale here. Most of them are fairly recently published, although there are some older titles. Evangelism, personal testimonies, mission work and Christian living predominate, and there is also a fair amount of second-hand Christian fiction. The emphasis seems to be on inspirational rather than scholarly works. The prices are low: the books are £1 each, or six for £5.
The shop is in the town centre, about a ten-minute walk from Ballymena railway station and the adjacent bus station. Ballymena has good transport links, with an hourly train service on the Belfast to Derry/Londonderry line and bus routes to a wide range of destinations. Booker T 05.08.25
Glens of Antrim Historical Society/CUSHENDALL/The Old School House, 25 Mill Street
Glens of Antrim Historical Society
The Old School House, 25 Mill Street CUSHENDALL BT44 0RR
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tel:
028 2177 1180 e-mail web
Open: Monday - Friday 10.00 - 2.00 (sometimes closes at 1.00 in winter). Also Saturdays in June-September: 10.00 -2.00 in June, 10.00 - 5.00 in July & August, 10.00 - 2.00 in September.
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The society's bookshop includes a second-hand section, specialising in books on Irish history and especially that of the local area. Free to visit.
The Glens of Antrim Historical Society was formed in 1965 to promote research into the history and traditions of the local area, encompassing family history and genealogy. At its premises in Cushendall, which are staffed by volunteers, the society has an extensive trove of material to help researchers, and also quite an impressive bookshop, which has a good-quality selection of second-hand books, including many that are difficult to obtain. The subject-matter is almost exclusively Irish history, including local history and in particular that of County Antrim. Cushendall is situated on the A2 coast road, amid beautiful scenery. It can be reached by bus: the 150 (Ballymena-Cushendun) and the 162A (Ballycastle-Carnlough) serve the village. Booker T 30.04.25
Secret Bookshelf/CARRICKFERGUS/The Courtyard, 38 Scotch Corner
The Secret Bookshelf
The Courtyard, 38 Scotch Corner CARRICKFERGUS BT38 7DP
map
tel:
07936 000078 web
Open: Monday - Saturday 10.00 - 5.00
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Quite a large shop, mainly selling new books, but there is also a diverse second-hand section.
The Secret Bookshelf, which opened four years ago, has built up a solid reputation locally. It recently became the focus of national attention when it was named the island of Ireland's 'independent bookshop of the year' in the 2024 British Book Awards (the first Northern Ireland entrant ever to win). The second-hand section accounts for about 10% of the stock; Irish and Northern Irish fiction and non-fiction feature strongly. It hosts frequent readings, talks and other literary events. Carrickfergus is a town of great antiquity, with a Norman castle. The shop is located 30 seconds from the sea front. All areas of the shop are fully accessible for customers with disabilities. Booker T 16.06.24
