James's gate

New space-time. Section 12 of Wandering Rocks follows Tom Kernan on the far western edge of Dublin as he walks eastward "From the sundial towards James's gate," along James's Street, and then north toward the river. His walk is marked by proximity to a pub, a drinking fountain, an immense brewery, and an immense distillery. Three interpolated passages intrude on the narrative, but only one of them takes readers to an action prominently occurring in another section. The other two connect to mere straws––things that seem to barely warrant mention in the chapter.

John Hunt 2023

The geography of section 12 overlaid on Bartholomew's 1900 map of Dublin. Click on image for more detailed approximation of Mr. Kernan's course (blue), the Malt House (green), obelisk (orange), Guinness brewery (red), Roe distillery (purple), and Pembroke Quay (brown).
Source: Pierce, James Joyce's Ireland.

2019 photograph of the Malt House on James's Street, formerly Crimmins's pub.
Source: John Hunt.

2019 photograph of the sundial obelisk with two of the four sundials visible high up on the monument, looking across James's Street toward the spot where Wandering Rocks begins. Source: John Hunt.

A closer view of two of the sundials. Source: John Hunt.

The gate to one part of the Guinness brewery grounds, near where the old James's Gate once stood, and across James's street from where the Guinness visitors' waitingroom once stood. Source: www.google.com.

The building that housed "the Dublin Distillers Company's stores" on the corner of Watling Street and Bonham Street. Source: www.buildingsofireland.ie.

Sketch of the Thomas Street distillery, published in Dublin, Cork and South of Ireland: A Literary, Commercial & Social Review Past and Present; With a Description of Leading Mercantile Houses and Leading Enterprises (1892). Source: Wikimedia Commons.

An early drawing or engraving of the obelisk, artist and date unknown.
Source: archiseek.com.

Video featuring the Malt House and a reading from section 12 of Wandering Rocks, from the RTE recording of the novel. Source: www.youtube.com.