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John Stanislaus (1849-1931) and Mary Jane (1859-1903) Joyce
John and Mary were the parents of James Joyce. Mary Jane (May) Murray was the daughter of a Longford wine and spirit agent who did not think Joyce a suitable choice for his darling daughter. Worn out by eleven children, a difficult husband and cancer, she died at the age of 44 years. In Ulysses Buck Mulligan chastises Stephen Dedalus for refusing his dying mother’s wish to kneel down and pray for her. John Stanislaus was born into a prosperous merchant family in Cork. He was a well-known character in the hostelries of Dublin. He was also a spendthrift and his family often lived in poverty and had to move house frequently. Yet James was very fond of his father and acknowledged him as a major source for his characters and his writing. He had promised his father in the latter years that he would return to see him but he never did. James wrote the inscription on the stone. Harriet Weaver sent money to pay for the funeral. She did the same for James less than a decade later. John Stanislaus and Mary Jane Joyce are buried in Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin.
Further information, location and directions to the grave are to be found in "The End - An Illustrated Guide to the Graves of Irish Writers". Click here to order a copy of this book |
