Joyce in Dublin

    James Joyce is probably one of the most famous writers to come from Dublin.  His collection of short stories entitled Dubliners, which was met with much controversy when first published, is now renowned as a masterpiece and taught in English Literature classes worldwide along with Ulysses, another of his great works.  Although Joyce left Dublin as a young adult and returned only a couple times, it was still his home and his fame lies there.

Right off O'Connell Street in Dublin is a statue of James Joyce which was created to commemorate one of Ireland's most famous writers.  My whole study abroad group is shown below, gathered around this statue.

Further up and right off the street lies the James Joyce Cultural Center, which I had the pleasure of visiting.  The townhouse turned museum features a short length film about Joyce and also features many paintings by various artists celebrating Joyce and his family.  Upstairs portrays replicas of rooms of Nora Barnacle-Joyce's companion and later wife.  Also, the center features a remarkable collection of literature pieces and biographies of characters found in Ulysses.

Right up the road is Belvedere College, where Joyce attended for 5 years. In Joyce's novel A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Joyce describes his life at Belvedere.

Across town from this section is St. Stephen's Green , which was originally one of the three ancient commons in the city.  The city is filled with memorials to famous Dubliners and a bust a James Joyce is there as well.

The bottom of the statue is a quote from one of Joyce's works and says "crossings Stephens, that is my green"

Right outside Dublin near Dun Laoghaire lies the James Joyce Tower where Joyce stayed for a week as the guest of St. John Gogarty(the model for the Ulysses character Buck Mulligan).  The Tower is now a small museum to Joce and contains some of his personal correspondence, his guitar, walking stick and other personal belongings.  The museum is open April through October, daily.

For more information on Joyce, here is a site full of Joyce Links.