John Treacy, owner of International Education Services in Kildare, was announced as this year’s winner of The O’Brien Press bookseller of the year award at the annual Booksellers Association conference and dinner dance at the Gibson Hotel last Saturday.
Ivan O’Brien, managing director of The O’Brien Press, said: “John Treacy has put his heart and soul into selling books ever since IES started 40 years ago. His attention to detail is amazing, and he always ensures that his customers can get the books that they want, even if he has to move heaven and earth to get them. With his wife Caroline and son Jonathan they have built an amazing company that ensures that Ireland’s schools and libraries always have the best books.
“Unfortunately current Government procurement policies threaten to destroy the library supply business in Ireland. If this happens, the loss of John’s company and other companies would massively damage Ireland’s libraries, schools, publishers and authors. John, as a member of the newly-formed Irish Book Industry Forum, is fighting hard with us to prevent this happening.”
The Treacys founded International Education Services in 1974 and it quickly became the largest supplier of books to Irish public libraries and schools. It operates from a 14,000 sq ft facility at Weston Industrial Estate, Leixlip. Treacy has just completed his second term as chairman of the Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards.
