Celebrate Dublin’s Literary Past
Dublin, the largest city in Ireland and the country’s capital, is a place steeped in literary history. Home to some of the world’s greatest writers, fans of classic literature will find much to excite them here. We take a look at some of the prominent literary Dubliners and some of the places of interest on offer around the city.
One of the first countries to practice vernacular writing – writing in the spoken language – Ireland boasts a long tradition of writing and printing. From the famous bible transcriptions the Book of Durrow and the Book of Kells, through to contemporary authors Roddy Doyle and Frank McCourt, writing is in the Irish blood.
Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver’s Travels, was born in Dublin and was to become the first internationally recognised Irish writer. Well worth a visit is Dublin’s Trinity College, where Swift, and many other famous Irish writers, studied. Swift fans may also want to seek out Saint Patrick’s Cathedral where Swift presided as Dean and where his burial site and epitaph can be found.
Fans of the gothic and horror genres can visit the birthplace of Joseph Sheridan le Fanu and take a trip to 15 Marino Crescent in Clontarf, once home to Dracula’s creator Bram Stoker. Both studied at Trinity College Dublin and both feature prominently in the city’s popular Ghost Tours, which guide tourists around Dublin’s haunted hotspots.
No literary tour of Dublin is complete without a visit to James Joyce’s home, found at 41 Brighton Square, Rathgar. There is also the James Joyce Centre on North Great Georges Street and you may wish to time your visit to coincide with Bloomsday, which is celebrated every 16th June to commemorate the birthday of Joyce.
George Bernard Shaw’s first home at 33 Synge Street is now open to the public, and visitors can still view Oscar Wilde’s home on Merrion Square. You can also find out about other great writers hailing from Dublin and Ireland – the likes of Seamus Heaney, W.B. Yeats, Samuel Beckett and Maeve Binchey, at the Dublin Writers Museum on Parnell Square.
And if you’re interested in what’s happening on the literary scene in Dublin right now, look out for the Dublin Writer’s Festival 2010 set to run from 1st June. There are plenty of local hotels located close to the literary hotspots, details of which are most easily found online. Hotel discounts can often be had if you book online too with sites like Octopus Travel who have a sale on Dublin hotels running just now.