Come Here To Me!

There’s a quite a number of historic spots around the city that fall between the ‘this really deserves a plaque’ and ‘let’s keep it our little secret’ categories. Obviously no one wants a city where every building is covered with two or three plaques. This, of course, would only belittle the importance of the plaques. On the other hand, there’s lots of alluring stories, kept alive by walking tour guides and Dublin pub quizzes, which should be given the importance that they deserve.

One of the best, in my mind, is the old Finn’s Hotel building on Leinster Street, the eastern extension of Nassau Street. Small (with only twelve rooms) and shabby but respectable and central, Finn’s occupied the first two of the row of red brick eighteenth century houses that forms part of the wall around Trinity College. ^[1]

Front of the old Finn's Hotel

On the afternoon of the 10th of June 1904, James Joyce first laid eyes on his future wife Nora Barnacle as she stepped out of Finn’s Hotel where she worked as a chamber maid.

This single event changed the course of Joyce’s life.

They had their first date six days later and he cast the action of Ulysses on that day, 16 June. As such, Bloomsday is always celebrated on this date.

A ghost sign for Finn's Hotel

So, there you go. Impress with your friends next time you pass the Hotel with that anecdote.

Do you know of any another important Dublin tales that aren’t remembered by plaques?

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[1] Brenda Maddox, Nora: The Real Life of Molly Bloom (New York, 1988), p. 24.