James Joyce Centre

A Dublin museum devoted to James Joyce

The main exhibit here is a long, hagiographic film outlining Joyce’s trials in getting his magnus opus, Ulysses, published. You also get to see recreations of Joyce's cramped bedroom and study, cluttered with his personal effects and writing instruments.

In the courtyard is the actual door to No. 7 Eccles Street, the real address of the fictional Leopold Bloom (and, in fact, the address of a friend of Joyce who inspired some of Bloom). The house itself was demolished in the 1960s to make room for a hospital expansion. The door was saved by local Renaissance man and literary afficionado John Francis Ryan, who installed it in his writers-haunt pub, The Bailey on Duke Street, where it remained for three decades before making its way here in the late 1990s.

In deference to Bloom, it is always kept locked and closed. (They really should make it the museum exit, but force you to climb over a railing to get out instead.)

The center also runs Joycean walking tours of Dublin.

Tips

• Planning your time: You really only come here if you are a true Blooms-head, so expect to stay 45 minutes at least. If you are merely curious what all the fuss is about with this Joyce guy and his Ulysses, the museum is covered by the Dublin Pass, so you can just pop in for free and give it 20–30 minutes.
• Tours: The Joyce Centre is covered on this tour:
  • Dublin Literary Pub Crawl
• Dublin Pass: You can get into the James Joyce Centre for free using the Dublin Pass.