In Ulysses Joyce describes the main character, Leopold Bloom, stopping in at this Dublin pub for a Gorgonzola sandwich and a glass of burgundy. “He raised his eyes and met the stare of a bilious clock. Two. Pub clock five minutes fast. Time going on. Hands moving. Two. Not yet.” Today the clock is said to be kept 5 minutes fast, in honor of Bloom and Joyce. Source:frommers.com
At the edge of the sea in the Dublin suburb of Sandycove, this Martel tower was home to Joyce for a short time, but he based a character on his host, Oliver St. John Gogarty, whom Joyce described in Ulysses perfectly as “stately, plump Buck Mulligan.” The museum was opened in 1962, and its interior has been restored to look as it did when Joyce was here, along with plenty of memorabilia, including Joyce’s walking stick and guitar. Source:frommers.com
Besides being the setting for part of Ulysses, this is the resting place of James Joyce’s parents and other members of his family. The English-born poet Gerard Manley Hopkins is buried here, in the Jesuit plot. Maud Gonne, the Irish nationalist and longtime Dublin resident who is said to have inspired Yeats’s play Cathleen ní Houlihan, is buried in the Republican plot. The writer, drinker, and Irish Republican Brendan Behan is also buried here. Source:frommers.com
Arguably the city’s most atmospheric restaurant, this remarkable eatery fills the vaulted basement space of the Dublin Writers Museum. Artfully lighted and tastefully decorated, it offers a menu with local, organic ingredients, all cleverly used in remarkable dishes like the ravioli with Irish goat cheese and warm asparagus. Fabulous.Source:frommers.com
The Handel Festival returns to the historic quarter of Temple Bar from 13th-20th April in celebration of the first ever performance of The Messiah in Temple Bar in 1742. This week long festival boasts a world class programme of free concerts, workshops, talks and tour. Highlights include Christ Church Cathedral Choir and the Orchestra of St Cecilia performing the Messiah in Christ Church Cathedral on Friday 20th, a special choral performance by Our Lady’s Choral Society to open the Festival and a special Handel Talk & Walk event with Dr Barra Boydell, music historian, who will share his wealth of Handel knowledge in a free talk and walk on Handel and his Dublin connection. The Lord Mayor of Dublin Councillor Vincent Jackson will officially launch this year’s Handel Festival at Messiah on the Street on Friday April 13th at 1pm. Source:entertainment.ie