The James Joyce Centre
The James Joyce Centre is located in North Dublin city centre, or as Joyce called it ‘the heart of the Hibernian metropolis.’
The Joyce Centre has for more than forty years offered the public exhibitions, lectures, classes, recitals, and events that focus on one of Ireland’s most famous artists and the city he devouted his life to. The Centre is proud to offer students and educators various classes, workshops, tours, and group admissions.
The Building
The Joyce Centre is located at 35 Great George’s Street in a stunning, beautifully preserved Georgian townhouse. Our spaces include exhibitions, works of art, videos, and various artifacts from Joyce’s life and work. It is in the area of Dublin in which Joyce spent the majority of his early life and the great majority of his work takes place.
Students
The Joyce Centre is a registered educational charity. As such, we offer several promotions and programmes for primary and secondary school students. Students are offered a special discount for admission to our various exhibitions.
In addition, we host several classes and tours. These programmes are an ideal way to learn about Joyce and, more broadly, Irish literature and the history of Dublin. Our “Walk n Talk” course, for example, consists of a 30-minute lesson on Joyce followed by a 30-minute walk around the neighbourhood in which we see some of the locations mentioned in Joyce’s work.
Walking tours
We also offer two longer walking tours, “Introducing Joyce’s Dublin” and “Footsteps of Leopold Bloom.” Approximately two hours long, the tours go through the very streets and buildings that Joyce immortalised in his work. This is a great way to immerse oneself in Dubliners, Portrait of the Artist, and Ulysses.
“Introducing Joyce’s Dublin” is a broader overview of Joyce’s life and work, including his earlier work Dubliners and Portrait of the Artist. Some of the locations featured in this tour are Belvedere College, St. George’s Church, Eccles Street, Parnell Square, the Gresham Hotel, and the James Joyce Statue.
“Footsteps of Leopold Bloom” focuses more on Ulysses. It follows the exact route Leopold Bloom takes in the “Lestryogonians” chapter. Some of the locations featured in this tour are Abbey Street, the O’Connell Bridge, Trinity College, Grafton street, Davy Byrne’s, and the National Museum.
For primary school students, we offer “Ulysses for Kids.” Through performance, song and storytelling, they bring to life the child characters in Joyce’s Ulysses and explain the elements at the heart of the book – the importance of curiosity and learning, to respect others, the trickiness of family relationships and love and why everyone needs a place to call home. The performance lasts approximately 45 minutes.
Private house tours and tailored walking tours are also available. Our staff consists of knowledgeable tour guides, curators, and Joyceans who are experts in the field.
Educators
We offer seminars for teachers who wish to teach Joyce’s work. Our staff provides lesson plans, lectures, handouts, and general guidance for teaching Joyce’s work to secondary school students, including Dubliners and Portrait of the Artist. These are ideal for educators who are preparing for the Leaving Certifications.
If you are interested in visiting the Joyce Centre, please email us at info@jamesjoyce.ie
