Literary Landmarks in Dublin

The capital of Ireland is a city as rich in literature as it is in history. In this post, you'll learn a little bit about the tradition of literature in Ireland, as well as some of the best places to go to get your literary fix.

A City of Literature

In 1945, the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was formed to promote the preservation and growth of culture and art around the world during the aftermath of World War II.

One of the projects that the organization is working on is the Creative Cities Network, which promotes "socio-economic and cultural development in both the developed and the developing world through creative industries" according to UNESCO.

There are seven Cities of Literature total, including Edinburgh, England; Melbourne, Australia; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Dublin, Ireland; Reykjavik, Iceland; Norwich, England; and Krakow, Poland. Dublin was chosen for both its rich literary history, including four Nobel Laureates (George Bernard Shaw, Samuel Beckett, Seamus Heaney and W.B. Yeats), and for its thriving publishing and bookselling industry.

Literary Landmarks, North to South

Bram Stoker Park (Marino Crescent Park)

The author of Dracula was born in Dublin and the park named after him is near his childhood home at No. 15, Marino Crescent. Free.

Photo credit: https://www.clontarfonline.com/gallery.htm

The Dublin Writers Museum

This museum showcases the lives and works of famous Dublin authors from the past 300 years. Jonathon Swift, George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde, W.B. Yeats, James Joyce, and Samuel Beckett are among those celebrated at the museum.

Pricing for the Dublin Writers Museum:

Photo credit: https://www.drurycourthotel.ie/historical-attractions.html

James Joyce Center

The center was created to celebrate James Joyce, and features re-creations of period rooms, letters, notes, videos, and other items relating to Joyce. You can also enjoy a Walking Tour of Joyce's Dublin. The center is also known for its part in celebrating Bloomsday, June 16 ^th, in honor of Leopold Bloom, the main character of Joyce's Ulysses.

Pricing for the James Joyce Center:

Photo credit: https://jamesjoyce.ie/

Abbey Theatre

Founded in 1899 by W.B. Yeats, Lady Gregory, and Edward Martyn. Here at Abbey Theatre George Bernard Shaw debuted many plays and made a name for himself, as did Sean O'Casey and Brendan Behan. Price depends on what performance you are attending and when you buy your tickets. Discounted tickets are available for groups of 6 or more.

Photo credit: https://www.abbeytheatre.ie/about/history/

The Duke Pub

This pub is the starting point for the Dublin Literary Pub Crawl, a pub crawl led by professional actors who commemorate the works of Joyce, Beckett, Yeats, Behan, and many more along the way. Adults: €12, Students: €10.

Photo credit: http://www.dublinpubcrawl.com/images/dukoutside.jpg

Trinity College

Founded in 1592, Trinity College is the oldest University in Ireland and has an impressive list of alumni including Jonathon Swift, Samuel Beckett, Oscar Wilde and Bram Stoker. In addition, there are a few important things within the college itself that any literary buff should see.

• The Long Room: Trinity College receives a free copy of every book published in Ireland or the UK, which means the college has a hefty 4.5 million books in its possession. The most impressive collection of these books is in the aptly named Long Room, which is over 210 feet in length. 200,000 of Trinity's oldest books are in this room, making a bibliophile's dream.

• The Book of Kells: This book alone would cement Dublin's claim to literary fame. The Book of Kells is an illuminated Gospel manuscript written in Latin, believed to have been created in 800 A.D. Trinity College has the book on display in an exhibition called The Book of Kells: Turning Darkness into Light, and at the end, visitors can see two pages of the manuscript on display. 

Pricing for both the Long Room and the Book of Kells:

The Oscar Wilde House

Oscar Wilde lived in No. 1 Merrion Square for fourteen years. You can no longer take tours of the house, but the American College of Dublin does use the building as a school. There is a plaque on the outside of the building and across the street in Merrion Park is a statue of the man himself, in a burgundy smoking jacket leaning back on a rock. Free.

St. Patrick's Cathedral

Built between 1220 and 1260, St. Patrick's Cathedral is still an active church today, offering services every day in the morning and the evening. During the times in between, visitors are allowed in to see the many artifacts contained within the Cathedral. In addition to being a beautiful piece of Irish history, St. Patrick's Cathedral was also home to Jonathon Swift, who served as the Dean of the Cathedral from 1713 to 1745 and was eventually buried there.

He wrote Gulliver's Travels and "A Modest Proposal" while he was living in Dublin. There is a plaque and a description of his time there, and his grave is in the Cathedral itself, next to his dear friend Stella's.

Pricing for St. Patrick's Cathedral:

George Bernard Shaw Birthplace

The famous playwright and Nobel Laureate was born and raised in 33 Synge Street, Dublin. The house was restored and opened to the public in 1993. Though it is currently closed to the public until further notice, it is still a sight worth seeing the exterior of the home of this great literary hero. Free.