The James Joyce Tower at Sandycove – Ultimately this is just another Martello Tower on the coast of Ireland, strong fortresses built for (possibly never used in anger) defense against Napoleon’s fleet.
What sets it apart, however, is not the curious fact that naked men bathe in the shade and in public view (at “40 Foot”), but a short stay that Joyce enjoyed there as a guest of Oliver St. John Gogarty.
Joyce also chooses the tower as Leopold Bloom’s starting place in “Ulysses.” Soon Bloomsday, Joyceans still start the day here …
Why you should visit the James Joyce Tower
Four reasons, friends:
- This is one of Dublin’s top Joycean sites, with tangible links to both Joyce’s life and work.
- Joyce as a person is one of the focuses : An often-forgotten aspect of the larger-than-life literary giant was the fact that he was shot in the Martello Tower.
- This was / is / will forever be the starting point of Leopold Bloom’s odyssey through Dublin.
- Last but not least, this is a rare opportunity to see a Martello Tower from the inside.
Something you should be aware of?
Yes, the exhibition is almost entirely aimed at those interested in Joyce and “Ulysses”; occasional visitors may prefer a less conspicuous attraction. Or just be content to walk around, take a snap, and then enjoy a stroll along the boardwalk.
So what is the James Joyce Tower all about?
The original Martello Tower was built during the Napoleonic wars. Like a coastal fortress, equipped with cannons, designed to defend Dublin Bay against a naval threat from that upstart Corsican. That never materialized. The towers were later sold, and Oliver St. John Gogarty used this Martello Tower as a home away from home, a seaside retreat in a seaside redoubt. He was the one who invited James Joyce as a guest (not his only claim to literary fame by proxy, by the way, St. John Gogarty also dragged WBYeats Bitter on his only visit to the pub).
Much later, the Martello Tower was reinvented and renovated as the Joyce Museum. And it still offers splendid views of Dublin Bay, and the Hardy bathers (occasionally nude) in the 40ft are a bonus.
When to visit the James Joyce tower
Bloomsday anyone? Every June 16 Joyceans walk out of here alive, as Leopold Bloom did on this day in 1904, the date is now known as Bloomsday, and every year all the things that Joyce celebrates on that day are celebrated.
But since the Martello Tower, situated splendidly on a promontory in Sandycove, not only has this purely literary connection to the author of “Ulysses,” it may also come on other days. “James Joyce once slept here” would be a fitting inscription for a plaque. But it would be better not to mention the fact that Joyce fled the tower after she was shot by her host, Oliver St. John Gogarty.
Today the old fortress and later the holiday home is a much touted attraction around the city that left you displeased. In fact, there seems to be a series of unkind goodbyes connected to this humble place.
The tower houses an interesting museum dedicated to all things Joycean, a must-see on the list of top Dublin attractions related to James Joyce. And for some, discovering Joyce’s human side is the best part of a visit to Sandycove.
Essential information about the James Joyce tower
James Joyce Museum
Sandycove Point County
Sandycove
Dublin
The James Joyce Tower is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Admission is free, but donations are welcome.
Phone: 01-2809265
Website: www.jamesjoycetower.com
