James Joyce Centre

Joyce is one of the most influential authors of the 20th century and brought us such masterpieces as the immense Ulysses, Finnegan’s Wake, Dubliners and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. His life and works are celebrated and remembered at the James Joyce Cultural Centre, in North Great George’s Street.

It tags itself as not so much a museum but a study centre. However, interested visitors are always welcome and the centre is open to the public in exchange for a small admission fee.

Although he spent much of his adult life outside of Ireland, the majority of Joyce’s writing is set in his native Dublin. People who wish to learn more about him can also a week-long summer course, or simply attend one of the many lectures that are regularly held.

There are temporary exhibitions staged within the centre as well as permanent installations like the Joyce Study – which aims to give an impression of how the author lived while creating Ulysses in Trieste, Zurich and Paris. Interactive exhibits allow you to explore the content of Joyce episode by episode as well as his life year by year.

Other items in the eclectic collection include a copy of Joyce’s death mask, three short documentary films and the front door from 7 Eccles Street – the house of Leopold Bloom - which is in the yard behind the centre.

The facility also runs an annual James Joyce festival each June called Bloomsday, which is accompanied by lots of special events, tours of the city and workshops.

For major Joyce fans, walking tours of the city that will take you in the very footsteps of some of Joyce’s most well-known characters are also run from here.

There is a choice of three different routes. The Joyce Circular takes in settings from his most famous works as well as the college he studied at in the 1890s. The Dubliners Tour rambles through the various locations mentioned in his first and most accessible work and the third one is called In the Footsteps of Leopold Bloom and follows the route taken across the city by the main character from Ulysses.

The tours start and end at the Joyce Centre and cost €10 per person for a minimum of four people. That said, you can tour with fewer than four provided you stump up the minimum charge of €40 between you.

You’ll find the James Joyce Centre in North Great George’s Street and it’s open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm and noon till 5pm on Sundays between April and September. It’s closed on Mondays for the rest of the year. Admission is €5 for adults and €4 for students and OAPs.