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For a summer walk with a literary twist, leave the usual tourist trail and trace Dublin through the eyes of its greatest writers. These seven stops link places you can visit on foot or a short train ride with books and scenes that shaped — and were shaped by — Irish literature.
James Joyce Tower and Museum, Sandycove
A short DART trip from the city brings you to the Martello tower at Sandycove, where James Joyce opens Ulysses. Joyce is said to have spent six nights in the tower in 1904 — the same year the novel is set — and the location anchors the book’s early episode.
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The tower now houses the James Joyce Museum. Visitors can explore the rooms and climb to the roof for views over Dublin Bay that still help evoke the novel’s setting.
Read alongside: Ulysses by James Joyce — try the opening “Telemachus” chapter before you go if you want the tower to feel immediate.
Merrion Square and Oscar Wilde
Born in 1854, Oscar Wilde spent his childhood in No. 1 Merrion Square after his family moved there when he was very young. A colourful sculpture of Wilde relaxes opposite the house, and the square’s Georgian park is a pleasant spot to rest on a warm afternoon.
Stone pillars around the park bear some of his best-known lines, and the location offers an easy way to connect Wilde’s wit with the city he knew as a child.
Read alongside: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde — the novel that helped define his reputation and the Victorian scandals that later engulfed him.
Sweny’s Pharmacy, Lincoln Place
This preserved Victorian chemist’s appears in Ulysses and still attracts Joyce readers. Run mostly by volunteers, Sweny’s hosts readings and retains the small details from the novel, including the lemon soap Leopold Bloom purchases there.
It’s a compact, atmospheric stop — ideal for dipping back into a passage from the book before continuing your route.
Read alongside: The “Lotus Eaters” episode from Ulysses — it stands well on its own and connects directly to this shop.
Grand Canal and Patrick Kavanagh
Though born in County Monaghan, Patrick Kavanagh spent much of his adult life in Dublin, often returning in verse to the city’s waterways. Along the Grand Canal near Baggot Street Bridge you’ll find John Coll’s bronze statue of Kavanagh, seated on a bench as if pausing mid-walk.
The canal is a quiet place to take a break and read lines that were inspired by this stretch of water.
Read alongside: Collected Poems by Patrick Kavanagh — begin with “Canal Bank Walk,” which draws directly on this landscape.
Davy Byrne’s Pub, Duke Street
Davy Byrne’s remains linked to one of literature’s most famous lunches. In Ulysses Leopold Bloom orders a gorgonzola sandwich and a glass of Burgundy here, and the pub still embraces that Joycean association.
If you want to immerse yourself, you can order the same meal and read the corresponding episode while you sit.
Read alongside: The “Lestrygonians” episode from Ulysses — the scene that features Bloom’s lunchtime stop.
Marsh’s Library, St Patrick’s Close
Founded in 1707 next to St Patrick’s Cathedral, Marsh’s Library is one of Dublin’s best-preserved historic libraries and is often described as Ireland’s oldest public library. Inside are original oak bookcases and rare volumes that remind visitors how long Dublin’s literary life reaches back.
It’s a hushed, evocative space — a contrast to the busier streets outside and a good place to reflect on the city’s longer writing tradition.
Read alongside: Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift — a natural companion given Swift’s association with St Patrick’s Cathedral and his place in Ireland’s literary history.
Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI), Newman House
Set in UCD Newman House on St Stephen’s Green, MoLI showcases Ireland’s storytelling from Joyce to contemporary writers. The museum’s displays change regularly and the adjoining garden offers a calm spot to pause after your walk.
The on-site bookshop is handy if the route has sparked a desire to read more Irish fiction; it stocks contemporary titles as well as classics connected to the places you’ve visited.
Read alongside: Pick a contemporary Irish novel from MoLI’s shop or revisit any of the classics encountered on this route.
