The manager hopes to partially open the D’Olier Street store later today.

A fire was set in Dublin’s oldest independent bookstore, Books Upstairs on D’Olier Street, around 3am.

The store's manager Louise Earls called the incident 'really shocking' as staff began to arrive to prepare for a partial opening of the store later today.

According to the Irish Times, she explained: “All we know at the moment is that it was an arson attack. Our neighbours intervened, the fire brigade came and the guards came and secured the building.

“Thankfully the damage is mainly to the outside rather than the inside."

Fire damage is mainly on the left hand side of the building’s basement, with rubble seen outside.

Gardaí have confirmed that investigations are ongoing and fortunately no injuries have been reported.

The store was first established in 1978 by Ms Earls’s father, Maurice Earls, and Enda O’Doherty.

Ms Earls was named Bookseller of the Year earlier this year, accepting the O’Brien Press award at the annual Irish Book Trade Conference.