James Joyce Tower and Museum

The James Joyce Tower and Museum is a Martello tower in Sandycove, Dublin, where James Joyce spent six nights in 1904.[1] The opening scenes of his 1922 novel Ulysses take place here, and the tower is a place of pilgrimage for Joyce enthusiasts, especially on Bloomsday. Admission is free.[2]

James Joyce Tower and Museum
Túr agus Músaem Shéamuis Seoige
James Joyce Tower and Museum is located in Dublin
James Joyce Tower and Museum
Location within Dublin
Established16 June 1962 (1962-06-16)
LocationSandycove Point, Sandycove, Dublin, Ireland
Coordinates53°17′19″N 6°06′49″W
TypeMartello tower, literary museum
Public transit accessSandycove Road bus stop (Dublin Bus 59, 111)
Sandycove and Glasthule railway station
Websitejoycetower.ie

History

The tower was leased from the War Office by Joyce's university friend Oliver St. John Gogarty, with the purpose of "Hellenising" Ireland. Joyce stayed there for six days, from 9 to 14 September in 1904. Gogarty later attributed Joyce's abrupt departure to a midnight incident with a loaded revolver.[3]

The opening scenes of Ulysses are set the morning after this incident. Gogarty is immortalised as "Stately, plump Buck Mulligan" (the opening words of the novel).

The tower now contains a museum dedicated to Joyce and displays some of his possessions and other ephemera associated with Ulysses (e.g., "Plumtree's Potted Meat" pot). The living space is set up to resemble its 1904 appearance, and contains a ceramic panther to represent one seen in a dream by a resident. It is a place of pilgrimage for Joyce enthusiasts, especially on Bloomsday.

It was purchased in 1954[4] by architect Michael Scott who, in 1937, built his house, Geragh,[5] next door, on a former quarry. In 1962, he donated the tower for the purpose of making it a museum.[6] Michael Scott is co-founder,[7] with financial assistance by John Huston,[8] of the James Joyce Museum at the Joyce Tower.[9][10][11]

The Tower became a museum opening on 16 June 1962 through the efforts of Dublin artist John Ryan. Ryan also rescued the front door to 7 Eccles Street (now at the James Joyce Centre) from demolition and organised, with Brian O'Nolan, the first Bloomsday Celebration in 1954.

The James Joyce Tower is open Thursday-Sunday, 10am-4pm Admission is free, though visits can be booked in advance on the website for a small donation. The museum is run by the Friends of Joyce Tower Society on a voluntary basis.[12]

  • Joyce Tower
  • Barry McGovern reads Ulysses, Bloomsday, 2009
    Barry McGovern reads Ulysses, Bloomsday, 2009
  • North view from above the tower, 2009
    North view from above the tower, 2009
  • Living area in the tower, 2019
    Living area in the tower, 2019
  • Michael Scott's 1937 white Art Deco house, Geragh, Joyce Tower, Sandycove
    Michael Scott's 1937 white Art Deco house, Geragh, Joyce Tower, Sandycove

See also
  • Forty Foot, an ocean swimming place, one hundred yards from the tower

References
  1. Bowker, Gordon (2012). James Joyce: A New Biography. New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux. pp. 130–131.
  2. "James Joyce Tower and Museum". Archived from the original on 22 July 2017. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  3. Gogarty, Oliver (1948). Mourning Became Mrs. Spendlove. New York: Creative Age Press. pp. 56–57.
  4. Stewart, Liz (2 February 2016). "James Joyce Tower – Review". THE BRIDGE. Trinity College Dublin. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  5. "1937 - Geragh, Sandycove, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin". Archiseek - Irish Architecture. 27 January 2010. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  6. "Bloomsday, 1962". The New Yorker. 15 June 2011. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  7. "Saving face: Own a copy of James Joyce's death mask for €2k". independent.ie. Retrieved 12 September 2022. One of these is given to the architect Michael Scott, co-founder of the James Joyce Tower & Museum ...
  8. Gallagher, Alanna (10 February 2022). "Live next door to James Joyce Tower in Sandycove for €5.5m". The Irish Times. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  9. "1985". The Times. Internet Archive. 1985. Retrieved 12 September 2022. Mr Michael Scott, founder of the James Joyce Museum at the Joyce Tower, ...
  10. "Joyce's Grandson Cuts Museum Out of Will in Dispute". Los Angeles Times. 17 November 1986. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  11. "James Joyce Tower". Irish Museums Association. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  12. Ryan, Susan (20 August 2012). "Joyce Tower set to reopen thanks to volunteer support". TheJournal.ie.
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