Born in Rathgar in 1882, the young Joyce was a brilliant student, becoming involved with the city's literary and theatrical circles while studying at University College Dublin. His first publication was an impassioned review of Ibsen's When We Dead Wake; Joyce was so struck by the play that he learned Norwegian to send a fan letter to the playwright!

Although he spent much of his adult life living abroad, Joyce placed Dublin at the centre of his writing, once remarking: "I always write about Dublin, because if I can get to the heart of Dublin I can get to the heart of all the cities of the world. In the particular is contained the universal."

Learn more about Joyce at the James Joyce Centre and the James Joyce Tower and Museum