Dublin, Ireland Celebrates James Joyce's Masterpiece Novel, Ulysses, in 2022

Statue of James Joyce in Dublin, courtesy of Tourism Ireland

Dublin, Ireland is gearing up for some massive literary festivities this year, as the city celebrates the centenary of James Joyce's novel, Ulysses, which was first published on February 2, 1922. Hailed as a masterpiece work of fiction by literary critics everywhere, Ulysses is set in Dublin and revolves around a single day, June 16, 1904.

Dublin is one of 42 UNESCO Cities of Literature around the world, hailed for its numerous poets, novelists, essayists and playwrights, bookstores and colleges, book festivals and literary activities.  Read more details here.  

Ireland itself has produced four Nobel Prize winners in literature:  William B. Yeats in 1923, George B. Shaw in 1925, Samuel Becket in 1969 and Seamus Heaney in 1995.

Tourism Ireland, the agency that promotes travel to Ireland, promises "a program of events, readings, food and walking tours, exhibitions, music, theatre and more, as Dubliners celebrate the novel that elevated Joyce into the pantheon of the greatest writers of all time." 

Festivities kick off on February 2, which was the official date of publication but also happened to be Joyce's birthday.  He was 40 years old when Ulysses was published. 

Here are just some of the activities being planned: 

The Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI) is launching Ulysses 100, a new digital platform and guide to the international events celebrating the Joycean centenary, and alongside online exhibits, articles and films it will also feature introductions to the book.  Branded as MoLI in homage to Molly Bloom, Joyce’s heroine in Ulysses, the museum also has the very first copy of the novel printed.    A full schedule of MoLI’s Ulysses 100 activities will be released on February 2.  

The James Joyce Centre  also kicks off its centenary celebrations on 2 February. This stunning Georgian townhouse has many connections to Joyce and his works, including the original door from No. 7 Eccles Street, Leopold Bloom’s address in Ulysses.  Key events include an exhibition of paintings by Aidan Hickey, which will chart the 18 episodes of Ulysses, and an exhibition of never-before-seen archival material that belonged to the English painter Frank Budgen, a close friend of Joyce. The center also plans a series of walking tours starting in February, which include performance, food and drink along with famous sites from the novel. 

The annual Bloomsday Festival, run by the James Joyce Centre, is a major literary holiday in Dublin that brings brings thousands together for great fun, readings, musical concerts, pub crawls and other events. This year it will take place during the lead up to Bloomsday, 16 June, and features a myriad of ways to connect with Ulysses, with music, tours, theatre and talks in historic locations from the novel. 

Other places and events in Dublin that will mark the 100th anniversary of the publication of Ulysses will include the James Joyce Tower in Sandycove and Davy Byrnes Pub, immortalized in the book. 

And finally, scholars, writers and visitors from around the world will flock to Dublin this spring, as Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin host the 28th International James Joyce Symposium from 12 – 18 June. 

For more information on visiting Ireland, go to ireland.com.