Opinion

Eithne Shortall: The one place I would fight for above all others

In which our columnist pens an appreciation of the public library

Eithne Shortall: ‘I love libraries. I love them as an author, as a parent, as a reader, and as a citizen’. Picture: Fergal Phillips

Later this month I will receive €150 into my bank account. And of all the €150s that I earn this year, it will be my hands down favourite. Because this money is the result of thousands of people borrowing my books from Irish libraries in 2022. Next month, I will receive a further €900 or so from British libraries and it will be received with the same sense of being absolutely tickled pink.

Before I ...