James Joyce Tower and Museum
- Hours:
Tue-Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Tue-Sat. 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sun. 2:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
2 reviews for James Joyce Tower and Museum
James moved into this Martello tower for a few days with his friend Oliver St. John Gogarty, who is now immortalised in pub form. However, Olly seems to have grown tired of his erudite friend, and expressed this displeasure by firing a gun over his bed while he slept, resulting in James taking his Stilton from the cupboard and legging it.
His brief stay was not unfruitful, however. It inspired the opening of his novel Ulysses; the gun platform with its panoramic view, and the living room inside the tower are still much as he described them in his book.
Now a museum, it houses Joyce's death mask, as well as photographs, papers and first editions.
When you're down in Dun Laoghaire, the Martello Tower- or James Joyce Tower as it's called by pretty much everyone- is just a short walk away from Dun Laoghaire centre. As Aoife said, Joyce mentioned this tower in his masterpiece 'Ulysses' so if you can't stomach reading the book, visiting the tower is a great way to experience the James Joyce vibe. It will cost you 7 Euro to get in, but the museum is beautifully done and will show you a glimpse of Joyce's life- and maybe tell you what possessed him to write Ulysses?