John Donohoe is keeping a love for books alive in Athlone's curiosity bookshop

When you have 25,000 books cluttering up your own apartment there comes a time when something must be done. That's the conundrum faced by John Donohoe, 13 years since he first opened the much-respected Na Línte second-hand and antiquarian bookshop, ideally located in the shadows of Athlone Castle. Na Línte though, is now John's Bookshop with a cheerful new shopfront which complements the fresh new look of the streetscape around the castle, and a website at www.johnsbookshop.com. John is hoping to sell these books through the website, in a bid to boost his business and also to clear a path through his home. Although he freely admits that his business is struggling, John remains philosophical, because the causes are the unstoppable forces of websites like ebay. Even during a recession people want to buy second-hand books, however many go online. It's an irony that John doesn't brood over and has instead revamped and re-christened the charming bookshop in a bid to entice people back to the art of browsing and the simple pleasure of reading. A psychologist for many years, John still practises in Athlone, which allows him to keep the shop going. Although John can list off a number of independent bookshops that have closed down over the last decade, he argued that you cannot beat the real thing. "When I go on holidays, I go into bookshops. I like the experience of browsing. The experience of a bookshop is infinite and more pleasurable than buying online." The reason why John first opened Na Línte, 13 years ago, was simple. "I like books. I liked them since I was a child. My first book was by Enid Blyton, I remember the binman handed me down a book and I read that and I was enthralled," he said. In the late 1990s, John who is originally from Dublin, was in a bookshop in Dundrum, and the owner offered him the stock of 27,000 books for £25,000. "I was gobsmacked," he explained. "I thought that buying them at less than a pound and then selling them on for £5, £10 or £15 I'd make a killing! But then I was talking to a second bookshop owner. And he hold me that the stock was only worth £7,000. That it was mostly dead stock, that I'd sell a few for a lot of money, but I'd still be left with hundreds I could never sell." However the seed was sown and John put a plan into action. A huge admirer of AE George Russell, the artist, author and mystic, John sacrificed an original painting he had owned for many years. Selling it was "heartbreaking". Apparently U2 guitarist The Edge now owns it. With the profits from the painting and a loan from his brother, John had enough to buy a shop. By now, John was living in Mullingar, and he was friends with local auctioneer Mike Ganly. John asked him to keep an eye out for a suitable premises. "I came down to see this shop and I crossed over the road to the Castle Inn and spoke to Sean Fitzsimons and took the lease." Since then, many stories have been created within the walls of John's Bookshop. Holding a huge mish-mash of books, from the once-bestsellers worth a couple of euro, to the older hard-backed classics signed by the author that can sell for more than a day's wage; John also has postcards, original paintings and various little treasures tucked into every nook and cranny, which when full, holds 9,000 books. He puts great thought into the layout of the shelves and walls, with books stacked vertically and horizontally and with some bright covers facing upwards, while he uses the artwork to "break up the visual". John's interest in literature, history and art combined to provide a great background knowledge for the antiquities business. "When I opened I was just taking in books. But then I realised that you can sell ten books for €20 or just one for €200. Which sells quicker? Which takes more effort to sell?" That is how John got into selling high-end items, rare books and collectibles such as signed first editions, letters or quotes written by someone significant, ancient hand-made books crafted from vellum and painstakingly written with dyes made from flowers and insects. And it seems that personal qualities, as well as a good memory, helps one to become 'qualified' in this field. "It's a mixture of your own interest, but also what your customers teach you. You do become a bit of a magpie, you listen and connect the threads... You've got to be very committed to what you're buying. You need to be very passionate about it, but it is a privilege (to be doing a job he loves)." John is hopeful that by going online, not only will he sell on the staggering build-up of stock in his home, but also hopes that the website will promote his shop and encourage more custom. As for the simple name, there's a reason behind that. "Na Línte means the 'lines of writing' but people just didn't get it. If you're trading on the net - and I've done research - all the bookshop names are all ponderous, distant and aloof. They're not inviting or tempting. Charity shops and ebay are bright, simple and moran-proof. That's what I wanted and why I've called it johnsbookshop.com. It's bright and breezy." And even though the revamp and the new website is hard work, it's keeping John happy. Because this project is about keeping the love for books alive. "I've come full circle from that guy who wanted to sell me the 27,000 books," laughed John. "It's a lovely life, I don't think I'll ever be wealthy but here the customers are incredibly happy, they want to come in, they want to buy something... It's a marvellous antidote to being a psychologist... I'm 53 now and if I get to 93, I can still do this." Check out www.johnsbookshop.com