70 Authors to Celebrate 70 Years at Kennys Bookshop

Jennifer Johnston, Eamonn Sweeny, Eugene McCabe and Dermot Healy among writers to join celebrations

On November 29th 1940, Des and Maureen Kenny first opened the doors of Kennys Bookshop in High St in Galway.  The Bookshop will this Saturday (November 27th) host 70 writers signing their books, to celebrate 70 years of local, national and international bookselling.
 
Truly a family business, five of Des and Maureen’s children – Tom, Des, Gerry, Monica and Conor – run Kennys today, along with three grandchildren and twelve staff.
 
The Bookshop has evolved and adapted to changing market conditions over the last seven decades. Expanding into Arts and Crafts in the 1950s led to the opening of The Kenny Gallery which today hosts some 14 solo exhibitions a year.  Kenneth Webb first exhibited in Kennys in 1953. The first book catalogue was printed in 1959, and this sowed the seeds of the export side of the business.

In 1973, Kennys opened the Seán Desmond Gallery in New York and in 1974 Gerry Kenny opened the Book Bindery in Salthill.  Regular trips to the States during the eighties saw Kennys appointed the Irish supplier to the Library of Congress which led to Kennys supplying over 300 US Libraries including Harvard and Yale Universities. In1994 Kennys became the second bookshop in the world to go online…. The recent relaunch of www.Kennys.ie, with over 5 million books and Free Delivery Worldwide on every title, makes Kennys one of the largest independent book sites in the world today.  A gift wrapping service has just been added so customers can send gifts, with a personalized note, directly to loved ones at home and abroad for Christmas.

n 2000 Kennys opened an office in Tokyo to take full advantage of the growing Asian market.  January 14th 2006 was the last day of bookselling in High St before the Bookshop moved to the Liosbán Retail Park where the tradition of book signings, book launches, art exhibitions and demonstrations, music recitals and charity events continues in the vibrant family business.
 
Kennys have been the recipients of many awards including the Bord Fáilte Ambassador Award and the DHL Exporter of the Year Award for being one of Ireland’s true ‘Exporting Pioneers’.  Maureen Kenny, who sadly passed away in March 2008, was conferred with an Honorary Masters Degree from NUI, Galway and an Honorary Doctorate of Law from the National Council for Education Awards

Ireland’s first Laureate na nÓg Siobhán Parkinson, will be signing alongside Dermot Healy, Jennifer Johnston, Eugene McCabe, Gabriel Fitzmaurie, Tom Kilroy, Theo Dorgan and a host of other writers this Saturday to celebrate 70 years of bookselling in Kennys…. Not to be missed!

More at http://www.kennys.ie/