A bookshop in Dublin damaged by fire in the early hours on Monday has reopened, with gardaí believing there is no reason to suspect the blaze was a targeted attack.
Books Upstairs – Dublin’s oldest independent bookstore – on D’Olier Street was set alight at around 3am.
Store manager Louise Earls said the incident was “really shocking,” as staff began to arrive to prepare for opening later on Monday.
She said early on Monday that an arson attack was suspected. However, the bookshop posted an update later in the day which said the shop itself was not currently believed to have been specifically targeted.
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“Our neighbours intervened, the fire brigade came and the guards came and secured the building,” Ms Earls said earlier on Monday.
“Thankfully the damage is mainly to the outside rather than the inside,” she added.
Fire damage is concentrated on the left hand side of the building’s basement, where rubble can be seen outside.
Investigations are ongoing and no injuries were reported at the time, gardaí said.
In a post shared to social media on Monday afternoon, the bookstore announced that it had reopened for “business as usual”.
“A small fire at the front of the bookshop was started last night after rubbish bags that were awaiting collection were set on fire. The guards don’t have reason at this time to believe it was a targeted attack.
“Thankfully the damage was limited and everyone is safe. We are open for business as usual. Thanks so much to everyone for checking in on us. So grateful for the kindness, THANK YOU.”
Books Upstairs was established in 1978 by Ms Earls’s father, Maurice Earls, and Enda O’Doherty, previously of The Irish Times.
Ms Earls was named Bookseller of the Year in February, accepting the O’Brien Press award at the annual Irish Book Trade Conference held in Galway’s Galmont Hotel earlier this year.
