Getting ready for a new school year always costs money — but if you’re a parent in Ireland, the picture around schoolbooks has changed a lot in recent years. Free schoolbooks are now provided in every state primary school, and post-primary students get their core books plus items like journals, dictionaries, maths sets and calculators too, all on a loan basis. The school owns the books, students look after them, and everything goes back at the end of the year. Post-primary schools may ask for a small refundable deposit on the items in the loan.
So do you still need to buy or sell secondhand schoolbooks? For most families with children in an Irish state primary or post-primary school, the answer is: not in the way it used to be — your school is taking care of the core books. But there are still real situations where a good secondhand books source is worth knowing about:
- College and third-level courses, which aren’t covered by the free schoolbooks scheme
- Extra materials, grinds books or specific editions your school doesn’t provide as part of the loan
- Private or fee-paying schools, which may organise books differently
- Families outside Ireland reading this — the free schoolbooks scheme is an Irish government scheme, so if you’re in the UK, US, Canada or elsewhere, this guide’s list of sellers may still be exactly what you need
That’s where this guide comes in. Below, we’ve rounded up the main places to buy and sell secondhand school and college books in Ireland.
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Where Can I Buy Secondhand School Books?
The Book Haven
The Book Haven is a family-run specialist school book and educational supplies retailer. You can order new and secondhand school books online or visit one of their stores across Dublin, Kildare and Meath, and get everything on your back-to-school list from books and stationery to school bags and pencil cases. You can choose to collect your order or have it delivered to your home. They also offer a selection of third-level books.
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The Shelf
The Shelf is an online school books shop where you can buy new and used primary and secondary school books and have them delivered to your door.
Done Deal
The popular secondhand marketplace has a selection of primary, secondary and college school books for sale directly from parents and students.
Tony Clarke School Books
Tony Clarke School Books, based in Limerick, offers an online facility for buying and selling secondhand school books. You can visit their store or have your books delivered nationwide, with free delivery available over a certain order value — check their site for the current threshold.
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Adverts.ie
Adverts.ie has a selection of secondhand school books for primary, secondary and third level, listed directly by parents and students.
Gumtree.ie
Gumtree.ie has a selection of secondhand books for primary, secondary and third level, listed directly by students and parents.
Booksonline.ie
Booksonline.ie lets you search by title or author for secondhand text and school books from a range of retailers.
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Opening Minds
Opening Minds offers new and secondhand books, with a discount available if you choose the secondhand option — worth checking their site for current pricing.
Secondhand School Books Stores
There are also independent secondhand bookshops around the country that buy and sell school books. It’s worth asking at your local secondhand bookshop to see if they deal in schoolbooks. A few worth checking:
- The Book Exchange, Galway
- Joyce’s Bookstore, Galway
- Midland Books, Tullamore & Mullingar
- Vibes and Scribes, Cork
- Chapters Bookstore, Dublin
- Tony Clarke, Limerick
- Bookmarket, Sligo
What Other Options Are There?
The Free Schoolbooks Scheme in Ireland
If your child is in an Irish state primary or post-primary school, it’s worth asking your school exactly how the free schoolbooks scheme applies to their class, since books are provided on a loan basis rather than owned outright. It’s a good idea to agree as a family to look after borrowed books and workbooks so they’re in reasonable shape to hand back. At post-primary level, keep in mind that a small refundable deposit may apply to items like journals, calculators and maths sets — you’ll get this back once everything is returned in good condition at the end of the year.
Sell School Books Days
For anything outside the free schoolbooks scheme — college textbooks, grinds books or study guides — it’s still worth asking your school or college if they’d consider running a “sell your books” day near the end of the year, where students can pass books directly on to whoever needs them next.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Are schoolbooks free in Ireland now?
Yes. Every state primary school is covered by the free schoolbooks scheme, and post-primary students receive books plus core items like journals, dictionaries and calculators too. Books are provided on a loan basis rather than given to keep.
Do I still need to buy secondhand schoolbooks for primary or secondary school?
For most families in Irish state schools, no — the free schoolbooks scheme covers the core books. Secondhand buying is now more relevant for extras the scheme doesn’t cover, private schools, or families outside Ireland.
Where can I buy secondhand books for college or third level?
Third-level books aren’t part of the free schoolbooks scheme, so sites like The Book Haven, Booksonline.ie, Done Deal, Adverts.ie and Gumtree.ie are still useful for buying and selling college textbooks.
Is there a deposit for post-primary schoolbooks in Ireland?
Some post-primary schools ask for a small refundable deposit on loaned items such as journals, calculators and maths sets. This is returned once everything comes back in good condition — check with your own school for how they run it.
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Save This for Back-to-School Season
Back-to-school prep always sneaks up faster than expected. Bookmark this page or save it to your phone now, so you’ve got the list of secondhand book sellers handy when you need it.
Have your say! Do you still buy or sell secondhand school or college books? Leave a comment below — we’d love to hear from you.
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