Ulysses chemist shuts after 100 years
The original chemist from James Joyce's Ulysses has shut its doors after more than 100 years in operation.
Leopold Bloom, one of the main character's in Ulysses, stopped off at Sweny's pharmacy on December 16, 1904, to purchase a bar of lemon soap for his wife Molly.
And for the past century, Joyce fans have been stopping off to do the same, and the closure is now a sad reality for many of them.
Frank Magee, chief executive of Dublin Tourism, said: "Obviously it is sad to see a small, family-run Dublin business like Sweny's chemist close.
"Sweny's, which was situated on Dublin's Lincoln Place, played a significant role in James Joyce's Ulysses and has proven to be a draw for Joyce enthusiasts visiting Dublin."
original
The shop has survived since 1853, despite four separate fires, with its original sign still hanging over the door and its mahogany fittings intact.
Robert Nicholson, author of The Ulysses Guide: Tours Through Joyce's Dublin, said: "The interior has survived. It has the original shop fittings and the counters, so if you go in there you can feel how Bloom felt on Bloomsday.
"I would like to see it preserved. It's important that we don't lose it. People were always going there to get the lemon soap on Bloomsday and I think if people were looking for it that shows that the demand is there.
"It's something very rare now which has survived. It's the only commercial interior that's unchanged since Ulysses."
He added: "I think everyone's hoping it'll be saved in some way. I don't think anyone's anxious to see it go at all."
Tourists on the trail of Joyce used to pop in for a bar of the fragrant soap, which soon became the shop's best-selling product, and made the chemist a landmark in Dublin city.
proud
Mr Magee added: "Dubliners should be proud of the fact that many of the establishments featured in Joyce's books are still standing, and indeed thriving."
hnews@herald.ie
- Geraldine Gittens
