“A good puzzle would be to cross Dublin without passing a pub.”
So wrote James Joyce in his 1904 novel Ulysses, which is celebrated once again this month with an eclectic series of events in theatres and hostelries across the city.
As Joyceans and their wannabes get set for some great events as part of The Bloomsday Festival organised by the James Joyce Centre, we’ve been flicking through this year’s programme to see what’s in store.
If it’s audience participation, theatre, cinema, literary launches and plenty of ‘ating, drinking and general merriment you’re after, then feel free to check out our picks below.
Dada Deux: A Joycean Cabaret
Expect an evening of music, performance, readings, songs, conversation, audience participation — and maybe a little whiskey, as the Bloomsday Festival programme gets underway in style at The James Joyce Centre on Thursday June 11th.
Surprises and beneficial shocks are guaranteed at this informal one-off gathering, which promises a nod to 1920s Dada cabaret, and turns by novelist Rónán Hession aka Mumblin’ Deaf Ro, composer David Bremner, soprano Suzanne Savage, and – live via satellite from Venice, California – Joyce enthusiast and polymath Gerry Fialka.
We’re told that the evening will appeal to seasoned Joyceans and newcomers alike, offering a wildly entertaining start to the Bloomsday Festival.
All welcome! Tickets here.
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Bloomsday Bash At The Oarsman
In honour of the occasion, The Oarsman, formerly known as Tunney’s Bar, is showing off its Joycean credentials and throwing itself headfirst into the literary craic with a gloriously old-school Bloomsday bash on Tuesday June 16th.
The Ringsend pub, which dates back to 1816 and was name-checked twice in Ulysses, will be serving an all-day traditional Bloomsday breakfast featuring mutton kidneys, gorgonzola sandwiches and a glass of burgundy.
There’ll also be readings, pints, general revelry and a Best Dressed competition encouraging guests to dust off the boaters, waistcoats and Edwardian finery.
First prize bags a €100 food and drinks voucher, second place gets €50, while a runner-up will leave with two consolation drinks, which we suspect the man himself would think was more than fair enough.
Early bird tickets are €22, while walk-ins by anyone planning a more spontaneous literary pilgrimage are also welcome.
If you’ve ever wanted to honour Irish literature while eating kidneys in a historic pub beside the Liffey, this is your moment.
Bloomsday Film Festival
Inspired by the long reaching arm of Ireland’s Father of modernism, James Joyce, Ireland’s most literary film festival is an eclectic celebration of cinema, literature, and artistic innovation.
Run in partnership with the Bloomsday Festival and the James Joyce Centre, the Bloomsday Film Festival offers a unique festival experience blending film and literature in celebration of James Joyce’s relationship with cinema and the city of Dublin.
This year’s highlights include a fascinating programme of Irish and international experimental films, and Luulur, a documentary by Raivo Kelomees exploring the surreal world of Estonian sound poet Jaan Malin.
The festival runs between Thursday 11th and Tuesday 16th June, with screenings taking place at the historic James Joyce Centre and the IFI.
Follow the most up to date details of events @bloomsdayfilmfestival
Bloomsday at Sweny’s Pharmacy
What would Bloomsday be without a pitstop at Sweny’s? Promising revellers a day full of merriment stretching long into the evening, the Dublin shop immortalised in chapter entitled The Lotus Eaters in Ulysses, welcomes everyone on their Bloomsday adventure.
Step inside and absorb the authentic Edwardian atmosphere. Loiter by the counter and watch the chemist work his magic with ointments and herbs, then pick up a bar of lemon soap that you can carry with you all day – just like the novel’s main protagonist, Leopold Bloom.
From Wednesday 10 to Tuesday 16 June, readings will take place at 12.30pm from the chapter that made Sweny’s famous. On the day itself, proceedings kick off with a fortifying Bloomsday Breakfast from 10am at Kennedy’s Pub across the street, after which there will be Ulysses performances from actors led by PJ Murphy.
Wrap it all up with a good old fashioned Edwardian sing song and the longest way round might just seem like the shortest way home.
Further information: sweny.ie / Instagram: @swenyspharmacydublin
Bloomsday Garden Party at MoLI
Literary museum MoLI, named after one of the novel’s main characters, Molly Bloom, adds its take on proceedings with a series of events including special Joycean-themed guided tours and a buzzy MoLI Bloomsday Garden Party, featuring live music and summer cocktails in the museum’s historic garden.
Taking place from 6pm to 9.30pm, this year’s event includes performances from songwriter Cara Coyle and her band, followed by music from three-piece Dunny, and traditional Brazilian choro ensemble Regional Massapê, who will be joined on the evening by Italian jazz singer Luisa Annibali.
Guests can also look forward to sampling a special Bloomsday cocktail concocted in honour of the occasion by Teeling Whiskey Distillery.
Tickets cost €20 for non-members, with complimentary admission for MoLI members.
Launch of Ulysses in Limericks at Grogan’s
Whether you’re a seasoned Joycean or simply looking to mark Bloomsday with something a little different, expect laughs, literary chit-chat and plenty of Dublin charm upstairs in The Gallery at Grogan’s.
June 16th sees the launch of Ulysses in Limericks, a clever new take on Joyce’s epic from writer Tom Mathews. Published by New Island Books, the new tome takes the various twists, turns and trials of Ulysses and squeezes them into limerick form – exactly the kind of literary mischief we imagine Bloom himself might approve of.
With journalist and wordsmith Frank McNally on guest speaker duties, the launch takes place in The Gallery at Grogan’s from 6.30pm.
Admission is free, but you’ll need to book your spot here.
Words: Martina Murray
Bloomsday takes place on Tuesday June 16th, with a week-long series of festivities leading up to the day itself. The Bloomsday Festival takes place at various locations throughout the city from Thursday June 11th to Tuesday June 16th.
For full festival listings and ticket info visit bloomsdayfestival.ie
You can also catch up on some fascinating trivia about the celebration of Bloomsday, as we revisit our feature on Bloomsday from 2015, in which Julia O’Mahony talked to some of the day’s keenest celebrants.
