The Bottom Line
Pros
- Very visual and artistic recreation of the world of "Ulysses".
- Provides insight into Joyce's characters and exposes their real-life counterparts.
- A fitting memorial to Joyce's work, combining both a scholarly and popular approach.
- Makes Joyce accessible and could work as an introduction.
Cons
- Ultimately a Joyce attraction - if Joyce is not your cup of tea you will be underwhelmed.
Description
- Old Dublin house mentioned as Professor Maginni's haunt in James Joyce's "Ulysses".
- Near to many Joycean attractions on Dublin's Northside, but off the beaten tourist treck.
- Exhibition brings Joyce's fictional characters to life and explores their factual background.
- A must-see for Joyceans, possibly interesting for the rest of mankind.
Guide Review - James Joyce Cultural Centre (Dublin City)
This is one of the more specialized attractions of Dublin - and will almost certainly never make it into Dublin's general top ten. Dedicated to the literary giant James Joyce and more specifically to his monumental "Ulysses", the center inform, introduces and interprets. But unless you are into (experimental) literature or Joyce the exhibition might leave you somehow cold.
This is not to say that it is uninteresting - especially the background information on Joyce's fictional characters is fascinating and can become engrossing to the point of obsession. Who would remember Professor Maginni if Joyce hadn't included him in Leopold Blooms odyssey? On the other hand ... how many people have actually read the tome?
For Joyceans I would rate this attraction with five stars and firmly place it on the list of unmissable Dublin attractions connected to James Joyce. For the tourist not too interested in literature three stars would reflect the reality better - interesting, but not a must.
