Our Story
A place where history meets the present in the heart of Cork:
The Bookshelf Coffee House is set within a historic building that has stood for over two centuries as a symbol of knowledge, now reimagined as a warm, welcoming space where time slows down and every coffee becomes a moment to remember.
A place with a story of its own
In the heart of Cork, between South Mall and Pembroke Street, The Bookshelf Coffee House is located in one of the city’s most iconic buildings: the historic Cork Library, built around 1792. For over two centuries, this space has been dedicated to knowledge, books, and the cultural growth of the community.
The story behind the walls
In 1792, local intellectuals founded the Cork Library Society and the sign and date can be seen over the door in Pembroke Street which is in the classical design. Cork Library was open for five hours daily, six days a week and stocked a range of books, periodicals and newspapers on serious topics such as art, the ancient history, the classics, science and theology, for the promotion of knowledge. General access was limited by the high subscription rates (one guinea) and was therefore of real benefit to only the socially and educationally advantaged. However, Roger Herlihy in his book ‘A walk through the South Parish - Where Cork Began’, states that the Cork Library actually began in a rented premises in St Patrick Street following an advertisement the Hibernian Chronicle in 1792 seeking subscriptions and donations of books. It then relocated to Cook Street and eventually to Pembroke Street in 1819. In May 1872, a man was killed in the course of re-modelling work on the exterior of the building. Daniel Connell from Friars’ Walk, was lowering timber from the top with a pulley when the rope he was using slipped from his grasp and the timber fell and struck him on the head. He died shorthly after. Membership declined towards the end of the 19th century most noticeably when a public library service was established by Cork Corporation, in the centenary year of the Cork Subscription Library. However, it wasn’t until December 1940, with a membership of only 142, that the Society, under the presidency of J.J. Horgan decided to close the library. The remaining volumes, which once numbered 20,000 were auctioned off in order to pay off debts.
A space that still speaks
The part that immediately catches the eye is the very stylish entrance door in limestone grey on Pembroke Street featuring a pair of owls sculpted at each side in wood. Columns and pillars support the entablature, which contains the niches housing the owl statues. It is believed that the owls were chosen as they are sacred animals to Minerva, the goddess of learning.
A new way to experience the space
Since 2010, this place is named The Bookshelf Coffee House run by Paul O’Carroll, now The Bookshelf is a bridge between past and present. Its walls tell the story of Cork, while its tables tell the stories of those who visit every day. Students, travellers, workers, and friends come together here, giving new life to a building that has been part of the city for more than two centuries. Later, two additional locations were opened: one in Cork at The Elysian, and another in Tralee.