Tales from the Tower

A Personal History of the James Joyce Tower & Museum by its Curators

Vivien Igoe & Robert Nicholson

Edited by Breandán Ó Broin

With an introduction by Vincent Browne

RRP €15.95

Available at €13

(plus €5 P&P for each order, regardless of quantity)

Paperback, c.200pp, 16 pages of colour plates

Publication date: 9 November 2023

ISBN: 9781739608620

2022 marked the centenary of the publication of Ulysses and the sixtieth anniversary of the opening of the Joyce Tower in Sandycove, Co. Dublin, as a museum. It was also the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the Friends of Joyce Tower Society, a group set up by local Joyce enthusiasts to keep the museum open at a point when its future looked doubtful.

As well as celebrating these three milestone anniversaries, Tales from the Tower is also a deeply personal account of the Tower and Museum, as recalled by its two main curators, Vivien Veale Igoe and Robert Nicholson. Both worked in the Tower at a time when it was still possible to meet many of the people who knew Joyce and his contemporaries.

The book recounts the – often hilarious – ups and downs of the Museum from its opening in 1962 through to the present day: through thick and thin, around the annual Bloomsday celebrations, dealing with visiting Joyce fans of all types and quirks, odd bequests and the ongoing work of running a museum – all while, quite literally, keeping the building from falling apart.

Accompanied by a rich selection of photographs of the people and events in the museum’s history, this book is not only a history of an amazing local landmark and tourist trail highlight, but a treasure trove for Joyceans everywhere.