A publishing company called 'Shire Publications Ltd.'

[Faramir Jones]

While probably not directly inspired by JRRT's Shire, there is a UK publishing company, presently based in Oxford, called 'Shire Publications Ltd.', set up in 1962. They publish low-priced, concise non-fiction paperbacks on a number of subjects, including antiques and collectables, motoring and rural history, archaeology and Egyptology, architecture, and industrial and military history. I've bought some of these publications myself.

Their website can be found here:

http://www.shirebooks.co.uk/

Here's a bibliography of what they've published in the period 1962-2007:

http://www.shirebooks.co.uk/pdf/45years.pdf

I had a good laugh when first I read this on their website:

The success of Shire continues and we are sure that the Shire name will be an important part of the scene for many years to come.

Then I read the copyright notice:

The material on this website is © Shire Publications and may not be reproduced without our express permission. Users may view, forward and print the contents for personal use only. The contents must not be used for any commercial purposes and the material or any part of it is not to be incorporated or distributed in any work or in any publication in any form without the prior written consent of Shire Publications. Any trademarks appearing on this site belong to their respective owners.

It made me laugh because I remembered the attempt made against the domain name www.shiremail.com, as described here:

http://www.planet-tolkien.com/news/article_84.html