Exactly 118 years after James Joyce was inspired to write the opening pages of Ulysses during a stay at a Martello tower in Dublin, new arrangements have been agreed to keep the building open to the public.
Joyce stayed for a week at the Sandycove tower in 1904. Today it functions as a museum dedicated to the life and works of the writer, from where visitors from all over the world can retrace the steps of his characters and most famous work.
On Friday, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council (DLRCC) announced a new collaboration which will see it lease the three-story building and in so doing, secure its future.
The structure had closed 10 years ago, after which a number of local people set up the Friends of Joyce Tower Society, an organisation that provided a volunteer staff essential to its continued operation.
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Owned by the Office of Public Works (OPW), the 19th century building had until recently been leased by Fáilte Ireland. However, under new arrangements, this will now be taken over by the council and managed by a not-for-profit company, Joyce Tower Museum, working closely with the Friends of Joyce Tower Society.
“Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown has always enjoyed a special relationship with James Joyce here in Sandycove as we celebrate 100 years of Ulysses,” said DLRCC Cathaoirleach Mary Hanafin, welcoming the move.
Frank Cogan, chair of Joyce Tower Museum CLG, paid tribute to the work of the volunteers and previous curators, Vivien Igoe and Robert Nicholson, for ensuring that the tower remained open to visitors over recent decades.
The museum is open from Wednesday to Sunday each week between the hours of 10am and 4pm.
Meanwhile, DLRCC has signed the contract for work to begin on Myrtle Square and Convent Lane in Dún Laoghaire, a new public space. The contract was signed with Cumnor Construction.
The permanent scheme will embrace greening and encourage biodiversity. It will include a canopy structure, public seating and a bespoke multi-tiered play unit.
“Rainwater will be attenuated and filtered through the planted areas helping to control any future extreme weather conditions,” said DLRCC chief executive Frank Curran. “The greening will support local bird and insect populations. Bringing the public, particularly children, into closer contact with the natural world is an important aspect of the project.”
