Hodges Figgis is a bookshop located on
Dawson Street
Dawson Street (; ) is a street on the southern side of central Dublin, running from St Stephen's Green to the walls of Trinity College Dublin. It is the site of the residence of the Lord Mayor of Dublin, the Mansion House.
Location
Dawson Stre ...
in
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
. Founded in 1768, it was moved and expanded numerous times until 1992, when it settled into its current location at 56-58 Dawson Street.
It is given a passing mention in
James Joyce
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influential and important writers of ...
's
modernist
Modernism is both a philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new forms of art, philosophy, an ...
novel ''
Ulysses
Ulysses is one form of the Roman name for Odysseus, a hero in ancient Greek literature.
Ulysses may also refer to:
People
* Ulysses (given name), including a list of people with this name
Places in the United States
* Ulysses, Kansas
* Ulysse ...
'', where it would have been situated at 104 Grafton Street.
The shop briefly housed a coffee shop on the first floor, but this was removed in 2002 during renovations to expand the space used for the shelving of stock. Hodges Figgis also operate the student bookshop in
Dublin City University
Dublin City University (abbreviated as DCU) ( ga, Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath) is a university based on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland. Created as the ''National Institute for Higher Education, Dublin'' in 1975, it enrolled its f ...
.
For some time in the late 19th and in the 20th century, the company also published a number of books, often on Irish topics.
Hodges Figgis is now owned by
Waterstones
Waterstones, formerly Waterstone's, is a British book retailer that operates 311 shops, mainly in the United Kingdom and also other nearby countries. As of February 2014, it employs around 3,500 staff in the UK and Europe. An average-sized Wa ...
, and operates as an integral part of the group, with the exception of operating its own loyalty stamp scheme instead of the Waterstones Plus card.
It was the second highest performing store in the chain in 2015 and 2018 only outstripped by Waterstones flagship store in Piccadilly.
Waterstones do operate a limited number of other stores in Ireland; but closed their other Dublin stores - which included one directly opposite Hodges Figgis - in 2011.
It has been mentioned in ''
The Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'' as well as popular works of fiction like "
''Conversations with Friends''".
See also
*
Hodges Figgis Trophy
The Hodges Figgis Trophy was presented to the winner of the All-Ireland Higher Education Senior Gaelic football Championship. The annual match was played between the Sigerson Cup champion and the Trench Cup Champion.''The Cups That Cheered: A ...
References
{{reflist
External links
Official website
Bookstores established in the 18th century
Bookstores of Ireland
Retail companies established in 1768
Shops in Dublin (city)
1768 establishments in Ireland