James Joyce Centre

35 North Great George’s Street was built in 1784 for Valentine Brown, the Earl of Kenmare, who used it as his townhouse. In the eighteenth century, this area of Dublin was very fashionable but it fell into decline in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. By 1982, twelve houses on North Great George’s Street had been demolished by Dublin City Council including the house next door. A group of campaigners managed to save No. 35 from demolition. On 16 June 1982 — the year that marked the centenary of James Joyce’s birth and the day on which Ulysses is set, affectionally known as “Bloomsday” — the keys were handed over to Senator David Norris on behalf of the James Joyce Centre. With the help of many others (such as the North Great George’s Street Preservation Society) and with funding from a variety of sources, the building was renovated and the Centre was opened to the public in June 1996. For over ten years, the Centre was run by members of the Joyce and Monaghan families, descendants of Joyce’s brother Charles Joyce and sister May Monaghan. It it now maintained by a staff of scholars and museum professionals dedicated to promoting the life and legacy of James Joyce as well as Ireland’s rich literary heritage. Don’t eat a beefsteak. If you do the eyes of that cow will pursue you through all eternity. Chairwoman: Deirdre Ellis-King Secretary: Robert Nicholson John B. Dredge Prof. Anne Fogarty Terence Killeen Dr. Éilis Ní Dhuibhne Sen. David Norris For information about the Bloomsday Festival, visit www.bloomsdayfestival.com or email [email protected] . You can access our bank of Bloomsday press images here . The James Joyce Centre is dedicated to being a global hub for the world-wide celebration of writer James Joyce and to the promotion of an understanding of his life, literature, and legacy. To build and sustain capacity in the James Joyce Cultural Centre and through www.jamesjoyce.ie which will demonstrate the vibrancy and purpose which the Board of Management and Staff of the Centre bring to the task of realising their Vision. We aim to develop the position of the James Joyce Centre as the focal point for the worldwide celebration of James Joyce and as a destination for literary tourism, access to Georgian Dublin, and culture in Dublin city. The James Joyce Centre is incorporated as a limited company with educational charity status. Our Charity Registration Number is 20022679.