Sweny's Pharmacy — Attraction in Dublin

Come one, come all and take in the nostalgic scenery of this quaint lil’ bookstore! My son and I were left riveted by its inviting spirit and addictive charm. With cogent resemblance of what used to be a family-owned pharmacy, its image-covered walls and cherry wood built-ins still oozed authentic grace and lingering hints of an importance to a once bustling, tight knits community when a name like Oscar Wilde was a simple common place among friends and neighbors alike.

From the moment we stepped over the threshold, a thinly veiled ray of nostalgic sunlight instantly overtook every delighted breath seeping from my lungs, transporting us to a time when thoughts of any of their own being seen as a stranger didn’t exist.

Irish tunes fox-trotted lowly in the background, giving us the energy that this historical gem was juicy and ripe for the picking and would satisfy our eager curiosity.

This trice was classical and at the same time enchanting, to say the least…

The friendly End Keep greeted us with a heartfelt grin and before long shared priceless memories of an estoic period, releasing glorious visions of what once was within every syllable he spoke. My lust for literary knowledge propelled me down a fascinating rabbit hole from which I didn’t want to ever return.

The past was never so intoxicating, as he told of factual nuggets you’d never find written in any non-fictional tale, unless the author had steep endemic ties to the district. By the end of his portrayal, a visual painting the likes of Jack Yeats, was damp on the canvas of our youthful imagination.

I was so addicted to gaudy thoughts of the old country, I wanted to buy a literary gem just to be written into the eclectic pages of its vibrant existence one day.

Although he invited us to return later for a French book reading and perhaps some fetching music afterwards, the moment was not to be (logistics is a nightmare).

Still, the darling moment will forever be imprinted on our souls. I, for one cannot wait to return home to the States and digest both novels purchased there (Ulysses & Sarah Hamilton’s latest) and remember the day Sweny became apart of our neighborhood too.

P.S if you visit the area, don’t just snap a pic of the exterior. Venture in further… the experience will truly...

My wife and I stopped in here after it was recommended to us by a tour guide who was very enthusiastic about Joyce. I had a great conversation here with volunteer Wayne who was a knowledgeable advocate for Ulysses. The shop now functions as a small bookstore where you will find not only Joyce and joyciana but also small runs from local authors. We purchased the only pharmacy item sold there - lemon soap in a hand-stamped waxpaper-wrapped bar like the one purchased by Bloom in the book.

If you have any interest in Joyce and would like advice on approaching his oeuvre then this is the place to go. I had a great conversation and meant to return for a talk/reading but the schedule didn’t work out. The place is staffed by volunteers so you know that they’re in it for the love of the game. No admission fee as it is really more of a museum shop. They also have copies of Ulysses in just about any language imaginable and will let you page through them for any reason or even no...

Tried two days in a row to visit. The first day was after online posted hours, but the shop had people inside so I thought I'd try asking about purchasing a book. The people inside (half dozen or so) all looked at me but made no attempt to allow me in or inform me of when I could come back. They just gawked at me. I returned the next day during open hours. It was 15 minutes before closing time and there was two other customers in the store, but the door was locked. Again, the folks inside looked at me while I attempted to open the door multiple times and there was no attempt made to let me in or explain why they were locked during open hours. I got a since of not belonging to some sort of elite club and it felt very unwelcoming and awkward.

I'm aware this shop is run by volunteers and hours might not match what is posted on Google. That is perfectly fine. It did feel very off putting to be gawked at though, with no attempt made to tell me why I'm locked out or when...