James Joyce Tower and Museum
Martello tower at Sandycove where Ulysses opens, with a small museum of Joyce books and objects and free admission.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The tower at Sandycove Point is Martello Tower No. 11, ordered in June 1804 as one of a chain of coastal defence towers built against a feared Napoleonic invasion. Around 50 towers were built along the Irish coast, 28 of them in County Dublin. The invasion never came, and from 1897 the tower and its battery were let to private tenants. In 1904 it was rented by Oliver St John Gogarty, whose guest James Joyce stayed there for a short time and later used it as the setting for the opening of Ulysses.
The architect Michael Scott bought the tower in 1954 with the aim of preserving it as a Joyce museum. After the film director John Huston contributed to the cost, the tower was restored in the early 1960s, and it opened as a museum on 16 June 1962, the date on which Ulysses is set. The opening was performed by Sylvia Beach, who published Ulysses. In 1978 an extension designed by Scott Tallon Walker was added to house the collection.
The museum shows books and personal objects connected with Joyce, among them a first edition of Ulysses from 1922, a first edition of Pomes Penyeach, a bronze cast of his death mask, a guitar that belonged to him, a tie he gave to Samuel Beckett, his cabin trunk and notes for Finnegans Wake. Volunteers show visitors around the tower, and there are views over Dublin Bay from the top. It is a starting point for the Ulysses trail that links Dublin places named in the novel.
Highlights
- Martello tower where Ulysses begins
- First editions of Ulysses (1922) and Pomes Penyeach (1927)
- Bronze cast of Joyce’s death mask, his guitar, cabin trunk and a tie given to Samuel Beckett
- Views of Dublin Bay from the tower
- Free admission
Permanent exhibition
- Joyce collection – Books, manuscripts and personal objects connected with James Joyce, including first editions of Ulysses and Pomes Penyeach, a bronze cast of his death mask, his guitar, cabin trunk and last cane.
- Founded
- 1962
- Visitors per year
- approx. 40,000
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Admission to the tower is free and walk-in visitors are welcome. Groups can visit free but must book ahead, and are asked for a donation of €1 per person.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: not available
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The tower is not wheelchair accessible.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Sandycove and Glasthule (DART) · 10-min walk
DART to Sandycove and Glasthule station (about 10 minutes on foot) or Dún Laoghaire station (about 20 minutes on foot along the seafront). Bus 59 from Dún Laoghaire to the Sandycove Road stop; bus 111 (Brides Glen Luas to Dalkey Village) to the Elton Park stop, then a few minutes’ walk to the seafront.
The tower stands at Sandycove Point, about 2 km from Dún Laoghaire and 14 km from Dublin city centre.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Volunteers show visitors around the tower. Group tours are booked online for up to 15 people per group, and up to three groups can start within one hour at staggered entry times. Group supervisors must stay with the group throughout the visit. A virtual tour is available online. |
