16 January 1997 Edition
Irish community bookshop closes
By Brian Campbell
The Green Ink Bookshop at Archway in London closed its doors for the last time on Saturday 11 January after ten years of service to the Irish community and the general public. The closure was forced because of a cut of £32,000 in funding from the London Arts Board (LAB), its only funder.
Green Ink Bookshop was set up by the Green Ink Writers Group which will continue to exist. The bookshop also ran the highly successful London Irish Bookfair, which LAB has agreed to fund for another two years.
Green Ink has criticised the LAB for giving them only three months notice of defunding, leaving them no time to seek alternative funds. Accusing the LAB of anti-Irish bias, Green Ink said, ``Including the second generation, the Irish make up some 10% of London's population...yet LAB support for Irish arts is minimal. At a time of significant political development in Ireland, Green Ink provided a way of keeping the lines of communication open. LAB's decision can only be seen as an act of cultural sabotage which destroyed ten years of invaluable work.''
Green Ink had the support of every Irish community organisation in London for whom it was a key resource. It will also be sorely missed by schools, colleges, libraries and the general public.
The bookshop sold An Phoblacht and other Irish political publications which will now be extremely difficult to find in London.
The Green Ink Bookshop at Archway in London closed its doors for the last time on Saturday 11 January after ten years of service to the Irish community and the general public. The closure was forced because of a cut of £32,000 in funding from the London Arts Board (LAB), its only funder.
Green Ink Bookshop was set up by the Green Ink Writers Group which will continue to exist. The bookshop also ran the highly successful London Irish Bookfair, which LAB has agreed to fund for another two years.
Green Ink has criticised the LAB for giving them only three months notice of defunding, leaving them no time to seek alternative funds. Accusing the LAB of anti-Irish bias, Green Ink said, ``Including the second generation, the Irish make up some 10% of London's population...yet LAB support for Irish arts is minimal. At a time of significant political development in Ireland, Green Ink provided a way of keeping the lines of communication open. LAB's decision can only be seen as an act of cultural sabotage which destroyed ten years of invaluable work.''
Green Ink had the support of every Irish community organisation in London for whom it was a key resource. It will also be sorely missed by schools, colleges, libraries and the general public.
The bookshop sold An Phoblacht and other Irish political publications which will now be extremely difficult to find in London.