Everything’s Coming Up Halfway

Ryan meets his idol

ot on the heels of May’s Bookseller Of The Year nod, Halfway Up The Stairs have now taken it up a gear or two.

And in the process, they’ve found themselves with a new buddy (and champion) – one Ryan Ignatius Horatio Bartholomew Tubridy.

“It’s been a bit of a surreal month,” says Trish, who opened her children’s bookshop in October 2019. “I think the Bookseller Of The Year nomination should have been a sign that Halfway Up The Stairs is on the radar now…”

A fact reflected not only by its owner recently being a guest on Jarlath Regan’s popular podcast An Irishman Abroad but also by a surprise visit recently from the Turbidy lad. Having swung out to Greystones to catch a Tiglin BBQ down at Carraig Eden, Tubridy later took a walk and swung into a little shop that he had already raved about on the airwaves.

“Ryan has given us a few shout-outs on his show over the past year and a half but hadn’t seen the shop, so he took the opportunity to pay us a visit,” explains Trish. “It was great to meet him and get some photos. The following day he gave us another brilliant shout-out on his RTÉ 1 radio show, which translated into lots of visits and orders!”

And it also got comedian and broadcaster Jarlath on the blower, calling on Trish to take part in his mini-series on independent bookshops. Sure, ever the pro, Trish even got to talk about Halfway’s new subscription service, The Gift Of Books, where Trish and co handpick a book each month for customers based on their preferences. Think Spotify but for smart, cuddly people.

And one book that smart people might want to check out is Remarkable Creatures: A Guide To Some Of Ireland’s Disappearing Animals by Aga Grandowicz, who created the giant underwater mural down at Greystones’ Park & Ride. Aimed at 10-to-15-year-olds, the book has been written, illustrated and designed by Grandowicz and is available not only online but, more importantly, right here in Greystones, at Halfway Up The Stairs.

You can find out more about Halfway Up The Stairs here, The Gift Of Books right here, and about Trish herself right over here.