The tiny terraced home in Bowling Green, Galway, that was home to Joyce's wife, Nora Barnacle, is the centre of the Bloomsday centenary celebrations in the city today.
To mark the 100th anniversary of Leopold Bloom's day out in Dublin on June 16th, 1904, the Nora Barnacle House Museum is hosting "100 readers for 100 years" from 8 a.m. until 2 a.m. People are invited along throughout the day to read their favourite pieces from Ulysses or to listen to others read.
Although the material is protected by copyright, Joyce's grandson, Mr Stephen James Joyce, and his wife, Solange, have given their permission to allow people to read publicly from the book at the house.
Nora Barnacle's niece, Patricia Barnacle Hutton, has travelled from Britain to be at the house for today's celebrations.
The house has been restored by sisters Sheila and Mary Gallagher. Within minutes of stepping into the dusty, dilapidated two-roomed house at 8 Bowling Green in December 1987 - where Nora lived with her mother and six younger siblings for eight years until she left Galway for Dublin in 1904 - they decided to save it and turn it into a museum.
