LITERARY DUBLIN
Dublin has been home to numerous literary greats, such as James Joyce, Bram Stoker, George Bernard Shaw, and W.B. Yeats. A section in 1,000 Place to See Before You Die is titled “Literary Dublin,” and from Patricia’s notes, it seemed like a short but achievable trip through the Irish city.
#1 - Dublin Writers Museum
Opening in 1991, the Dublin Writer’s Museum (permanently closed in 2022) provides visitors a peek into the lives of some of Dublin’s most influential Irish writers.
What I enjoyed about the Dublin Writer’s Museum was actually the cute, gated sign and Michelin-rated restaurant right downstairs from it. Located in a small Georgian townhouse, this compact museum also houses a bookshop selling a curated selection of works by some of Ireland’s most famous writers. Unfortunately, there were only two rooms housing exhibits with a few artifacts and displays. If you were inclined, they did offer me an audio guide that explains each item via remote control. However, I preferred exploring the building itself.
Upstairs was the Gallery of Writers and Library rooms, although I did wonder about their significance as they looked more like study rooms at a school. There was also a children’s room downstairs for younger visitors. However, the lighting was dim and reminded me of a set in a horror movie.
#2 James Joyce Center
Similar to the Dublin Writer’s Room, the James Joyce Center is located in a restored 18th century Georgian townhouse. And like the Dublin Writer’s Museum, the James Joyce Center had about four or five rooms of exhibits and displays to see, which were the size of a small bedroom.
Admission was only 5 euros (at the time of this writing). The center does not have a permanent collection. When I was there, there was a room showcasing the Haiku Project, which I found to be interesting, though I did feel my experience was short due to the size of the museum and the lack of a permanent collection. As with the Dublin Writer’s Museum, the museum provides audio guides that gives more insight to the exhibits while you explore the museum.
#3 Book of Kells
The Book of Kells Experience is an immersive, digital experience located at Trinity College across the Old Library and Red Pavillion buildings. The Book of Kells is the place to be. I had the misconception that this was a stand-alone library instead of being part of Trinity College.
It’s accessible to the public via admission ticket, but you have to enter the college grounds to see it. Additionally, the timed tickets only allow a maximum number of people in the library at once. Regardless, it still felt quite busy in there. Imagine how actual college students might even read and study while all the tourists swarmed about the library! Because of the crowds and long entry wait times, it’s best to buy your tickets in advance online and to visit right when the library opens. Unfortunately, our schedule did not permit us from taking this advice, and we had to settle for an afternoon visit. However, since we bought our tickets online, we were able to fast track our way into the library and avoid the long line of visitors waiting to get tickets in the Dublin rain.
