Press Release

After 25 years in Middle Street, The Kenny Gallery is on the move again, this time to Liosbán Retail Park. The Gallery opened originally in Salthill in 1968, moving to Middle Street in 1984.

The Kenny Gallery will rejoin Kennys Bookshop under the one roof in Liosbán. With over 1,500 square feet of exhibition space and a very strong exhibition schedule for 2009, the new Kenny Gallery in Liosbán promises to be a lively spot.

Kennys Bookshop moved from High St to Liosbán three years ago when Kennys moved all book sales online. While online sales continued to grow, the feedback from customers and tourists alike was overwhelming – everybody missed the bricks and mortar shop. And so, Kennys reopened to the public in June of last year. The new 7,000 sq foot Liosbán bookshop houses some half a million volumes and, with demand for quality second hand books growing during the recession, has been trading successfully since it opened.

"We are very much looking forward to the Bookshop and Art Gallery being back under the one roof. There is a very dynamic cultural spark between the books and the art, the writers, artists and sculptors when they are all in the one building” said Tom Kenny, Director of The Kenny Gallery.“Customers and friends of the bookshop who are calling in for coffee and to browse the aisles of books will now be able to enjoy the art again on the same premises. We are planning an exciting cultural calendar of booklaunches and exhibition openings for the coming year".

"Customers are also delighted with the ease of accessibility in Liosbán and the free parking. Tour buses can reach us much more easily in Liosbán".

Kennys have been planning for the last number of years to bring all of their operations back under the one roof. The current move will significantly reduce operating costs. In the current economic climate, art sales have fallen nationally and internationally.

“By moving the gallery to Liosbán to join our new Bookshop, we can benefit from significant cost savings while continuing to promote and showcase our artists”, said Tom Kenny.“We will obviously miss all of our friends in High St/Middle St. We have traded here for 70 years, since my parents opened the Bookshop in 1940. It is a wonderful exhibition space – with over 7,000 square feet, this has been one of the largest commercial city centre gallery in the country for the last number of years. However, given current market conditions, it will be more economical for the gallery to trade alongside the bookshop in Liosbán”.

The world famous High St/Middle St building, which enjoys substantial footfall, will be put up for lease.

For more information:
Tom Kenny, The Kenny Gallery, Liosbán Retail Park, Tuam Road, Galway.
P: 091 709350 M: 087 6255110 F: 091 709351 E: karen@kennys.ie