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EVERY YEAR FANS of James Joyce’s novel Ulysses gather in Dublin and around the world to celebrate Bloomsday.
16 June, the date the fictional events in Ulysses take place, is recognised with readings, performances and even Bloomsday Breakfasts.
The day is named after Leopold Bloom, the main character in Ulysses. The novel, often regarded as Joyce’s most important work, follows Bloom’s journey around Dublin.
City events
The events in Dublin are centred around the places that Bloom visited – such as Glasnevin Cemetery, the Martello Tower in Sandycove and Sandymount Strand.
A full programme of Bloomsday Festival events is available online and there’s also a host of fringe happenings to enjoy.
Some of the events have already sold out – but here are our picks of events happening around Dublin, from today until Thursday.
Travel to locations associated with Joyce and his work, including his birthplace in Rathgar and the Martello Tower in Sandycove, in the comfort of a bus. The bus leaves the James Joyce Centre on North Great George’s Street at 10am. The tour will finish up at 4pm and costs €30.
Strolling through Ulysses! starts at 7pm on Tuesday evening in the International Bar on Wicklow St. The audience are taken on a 70 minute journey through the novel. Tickets are available online or at the door.
Celebrate Joyce through the music that helped inspire his first novel. Tickets for the night of tunes in The Stag’s Head cost €12. Musicians Darina Gallagher and Sinead Murphy will also talk about the background of the songs.
Thursday
Bloomsday itself…
Kick off your day
Breakfast is big on Bloomsday.
Based on the breakfast that Leopold Bloom ate on 16 June 1904, fans of the book can enjoy a traditional Irish fry-up, with optional gruesome extras: nutty gizzards, kidneys and sheep’s heart. The James Joyce Centre breakfast is currently sold out, but who knows, maybe some tickets will become available this week?
Howth RNLI are also hosting a Bloomsday Breakfast, with prosecco and gorgonzola at 11am at Howth Yacht Club and tickets cost €30.
There will be other Bloomsday Breakfasts happening in different locations around town too.
Bus it
If you want to get away from the city, a coach will once again be bringing people from the James Joyce Centre at 10am to the Martello Tower at Sandycove and Sandymount Village. The bus will return to the city by 3pm.
City Sightseeing Dublin will run two free Bloomsday bus tours. The buses will depart from Hugh Lane Gallery at 10.30am and 12.30pm. Tickets must be booked in advance online.
Glasnevin Cemetery
Glasnevin Cemetery will be hosting a series of events to mark the day. There will be Joycean breakfast and lunch in the cemetery’s Tower Café from 10am to 3pm. At 11.30am, there will be a re-enactment of Paddy Dignam’s funeral procession from the ‘Hades’ section of Ulysses.
At 12.15pm, there will be a Joycean tour of Glasnevin Cemetery. Booking is essential, we’re told.
Readings
Bloomsday readings will start at 3pm in Meeting House Square in Temple Bar. This event is free and no booking is required. The event will include songs, readings and performances. RTÉ broadcaster Keelin Shanley will lead the readings, alongside the likes of Bloomsday stalwart David Norris, and Colm O’Gorman.
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Being called attractive is a compliment ffs.
@Billy-Bob White: Good man Billy.
@Coner Willis: Man U till I die!!
@Billy-Bob White: No problem with compliments. Asking about the conception is not appropriate.
@Billy-Bob White: Are heads of state normally complimented on their appearance during interviews?
@Rochelle: Leo is just gorgeous …..
@Rochelle: “Attractive” doesn’t just mean physically attractive. It’s a very positive piece and from a journalistic perspective he raises the questions other people have raised and let’s her and her political ally address them.
@Rochelle: I’ll just leave these here
https://www.buzzfeed.com/jennaguillaume/ohhhh-canada?utm_term=.yf3ym1koJP#.hyqKDOLZvz
And at 3:28 in this
Jacinda Ardern :
“It’s fair to say that I couldn’t recall there being anything from the interview that particularly stood out to me,”
So what’s all the bloody fuss about then?
@David Sinclair: The common practice nowadays of me getting offended on your behalf because I know better.
@David Sinclair: You’re obviously new to the Internet.
@Daniel Donovan:
Fair enough I can understand radical feminists being outraged (99.9% of human activity enrages that lot) but when I see grown men like Ryan Sheales
above sticking his beak in and virtue signalling about it it gets roysh up my nose…it really does.
@David Sinclair: *hupeople activity.
@neilo:
I support his right to free speech, only wish he’d use it more constructively rather than trying to win an Oscar at the annual PC Awards.
If she wasn’t offended in any way by it then no body else should either ..he complimented her and asked when the baby was due…no harm there. Women ask all the time when is the baby due when talking to a pregnant lady . Is it now offensive for a man to ask such a question..
@Siobhán Ni Mhurchú : Apparently it has now come to the stage that a man can not open his mouth without some females getting offended. I’m very sure no harm was meant and, like most men was only trying to be polite and courteous. Dammed if you do and dammed if you don’t.
@Siobhán Ni Mhurchú: you just don’t get it. Read the article. She is a senior politician! She cannot afford to be publicly
offended because of the backlash she would have to endure. The only reason he wanted to know when the baby was due was so he could calculate when conception occurred so that he could make a voyeuristic comment about sex during an election campaign. The interviewer has demonstrated that he is a total sleaze bag.
@Ben Gunn: your comment in itself is sexist to suggest she couldn’t endure the backlash of being offended. Is it because she is a woman or because she is good looking or both?
@Ben Gunn: not according to the woman..she didn’t take it that way and that’s what is important here …
@Ben Gunn: maybe you’re the one that doesn’t get it.
Your comment contains wildly populist assumptions, projections and accusations.
The woman herself said that nothing stood out from the interview. You are assuming she was lying, ‘cos she’s too shy /weak to say otherwise.
The interviewer didn’t make a sleazy comment about conception. You projected it and accused him of wanting to say something he didn’t say.
I despair at such speculative, sheep-think offended on behalf others shite!
@Ben Gunn: Perhaps you should watch the interview before commenting any further. Did that occur to you before embarrassing yourself? I don’t know who you work for but I wish I had the opportunity over the next 6 months to constructively sack you. Don’t know what I’m talking about though, do you
men should completely ignore a woman’s appearance and never comment about it. Did this guy not get the memo ??
never buy a drink, never offer to pay for dinner, no more lady’s first, no more door opening.
@David Cullen: No of course not. That was all a load of tosh anyway.
In the same one hour program they filmed and spoke to a conman. They called him a conman. Should we all be offended too?
In the same program they interviewed Robbie Williams and complemented him. Should we all get offended at that too?
The interview with her was being conducted as she was indeed a woman, pregnant, a first in recent times for any female in the Western nation, at the top of her political game.
Sometimes, just sometimes, political correctness has gone a touch too far?
So she’s good looking and what? If you don’t like the questions in the interview, walk out. If you find it repugnant turn it off.
@Daniel Donovan: this is PC media at its worst. Reporting on a non story on the other side of the world just to appease the “victim groups” even though she carried and represented herself perfectly. The sad thing is I’m not sure does the media have the self awareness to realise what it’s like..
Watched the interview. Nothing jumped out that indicated that the lady interviewed was offended. She got to where she is from being also a strong character so there was feelings hurt, she would have said something we might guess?
The new puritans have taken it upon themselves to be outraged and offended on behalf of the NZ premier who wasn’t. It was only a matter of time before the word ‘attractive’ would be deemed as hate speech by this minority of loons who dominate the media.
She took the right stance here not being fazed by it but let’s be honest this isn’t the PC brigade. When interviewing a woman that’s career has nothing to do with looks why bring it up? It was intended to be controversial of course
Questioning ones sexual habits or indeed whether they are able to bear children is unacceptable
Men , Stay away from women . No matter what you do your wrong so whats the point .
Isn’t there some sort of sexual conversion method done by religious head jobs that could turn all men homosexual .
Just more twitter sourced outrage used to write articles which gives the perpetually offended clowns airtime. This isn’t news, yet media give an international platform for these alt right/left crybaby whatever clowns recognition for there misplaced hypersensitivity. Move on, next topic please. What next, articles based on a few random hysterical comments dredged from the depths of YouTube comments! It’s a pity the middle, moderate and calm voices don’t sell papers.
She was not offended , that’s good enough for me.
Whereas when some women spend hundreds of euro on outfits ,fake tans , hairdos ,make up ,nails, uncomfortable footwear they do it because they do not want to be complimented and admired. If you believe that you will believe anything.
As my dear old Dad used to say ,Pride Knows No Pain.
No comments allowed for IRA man but let’s leave this open for misogynists to go mad with. Good call.
Remember when every female journalist and the public was losing their mind over dreamy Justin Theroux? I do.
@Dublin Living: Sorry, I mean Justin Theroux! The Canadian prime minister.
Nothing wrong with that interview with The New Zealand prime minister. Actually I found it quiet interesting and not sleazy and in fact prime minister showed no signs of been offended
@postmanbill: She was certainly made feel uncomfortable by some of his sleazy questions. As for your good self, sleazy people often gravitate towards other sleazy people.
Wooley spending 2 weeks with the couple prior to main interview! And all for a 60 minute gig!
Ireland’s Nighthawks format mustn’t have taken off down under!
Charles may have been keen for some down time away from his own six and the missus!
Unbelievable bullshit story by Journal even the PM is not fazed by the bull …. nothing to see here
I think it’s an outrage to call a woman so horrendously ugly, as attractive. This guy is obviously trolling.
@Steven Fitzpatrick: You may have missed the part where he speculated about the moment of conception. Just a sleazy old man, but hey, whatever is to your liking.
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