02. The front door of No. 7 Eccles Street

In Joyce’s novel Ulysses, the main character, Leopold Bloom, lives at number 7 Eccles Street. This was a real address, on a real street not far from here. When Joyce returned to Dublin in 1909, he visited number 7 Eccles Street where his friend John Francis Byrne was living. Shortly after, another friend claimed that Joyce’s partner, Nora Barnacle, had been two-timing Joyce when they were going out together for the first time in the summer of 1904. Upset at this news, Joyce returned to 7 Eccles Street where Byrne assured him that Nora had not been unfaithful to him and had not gone out with anyone else. The house was partially demolished in the 1960s and the front door was removed and installed in the Bailey pub on Duke Street. It was moved to the Joyce Centre in the 1990s where it was reunited with its original stone surround.

A: Press ‘A’ to learn more about the door knocker… B: Press ‘B’ to listen to an excerpt of Fred Seiden discuss his removal of the knocker from the door… C: Press ‘C’ to learn more about the Ulysses mural…

ABC

Press play to start the audio from the beginning

The James Joyce Center

The James Joyce Cultural Centre is situated in a stunning Georgian townhouse, offering visitors historical and biographical information about James Joyce and his influence in literature. We host walking tours, exhibitions, workshops and lectures for visitors with a casual interest and Joycean experts alike. See the door to the famous No 7 Eccles Street from “Ulysses”, a recreation of his living quarters in Paris, art exhibitions and more which bring the author and his works to life.