James Joyce is coming home to Dublin today - in so many words. The much-anticipated sale in New York yesterday of the manuscript of the "Circe" episode of Ulysses ended with the purchase of the work by the National Library of Ireland.
The sale price was $1.4 million, $200,000 above the estimate by Christie's auctioneers. The manuscript was purchased on behalf of the National Library by Mr Edward Maggs of Maggs and Company, antiquarian booksellers of London.
The manuscript, known as the John Quinn Draft after the New York attorney and Joyce benefactor, will be displayed at the National Library in Dublin today, Mr Maggs said, moments after securing his prize.
The director of the National Library, Dr Brendan O'Donoghue, expressed his delight at the acquisition. All the library staff had been on tenterhooks during the auction, he said.
The sale began with an opening bid of $500,000. Bidding quickly reached $950,000 and paused briefly before reaching $1 million. Christie's had estimated the value between $800,000 and $1.2 million.
Bidding moved quickly to $1.2 million and then there was a moment of confusion over a phone bid which did subsequently raise the price to $1.3 million. Mr Maggs quickly went to $1.4 million and the sale was closed.