Bloomsday at Cassidy’s

—But wait till I tell you, he said. Delahunt of Camden street had the catering . . .
Ulysses

Join us on Bloomsday, Tuesday, 16th June to celebrate Cassidy’s unique literary history!

While there are many pubs in Dublin that claim tenuous connections with James Joyce and Ulysses, Cassidy’s on 42 Camden Street (then known as Delahunt’s) is a notable exception.  James Joyce was a regular here, or as close to a regular as Joyce’s wanderings would allow. The reason for Joyce’s patronage of Delahunt’s relates to the immediacy of Camden Hall, and the Irish Dramatic Company, which in 1902 had been formed eight doors down the street at no. 34. Joyce loved theatre, the arts and music halls within which he himself was an accomplished performer. However, this venue did not always approve of Joyce’s errant behaviour as he was on one occasion ejected from Camden Hall for falling down drunk and looking up the skirts of leading actress, Vera Esposito.

In the Wandering Rocks chapter of Ulysses, Joyce refers both to Delahunt’s port and their external catering service. ‘He checked his tale a moment but broke out in a wheezy laugh. But wait till I tell you, he said. Delahunt of Camden Street had the catering and yours truly was chief bottlewasher.’ Joyce later refers to Delahunt’s famous port wine. ‘She was well primed with a good load of Delahunt’s port under her bellyband. Every jolt the bloody car gave I had her bumping up against me. Hell’s delights! She has a fine pair, God bless her. Like that.’

Have a pint, bring a copy of Ulysses and experience the book in more ways than one! The pub is open 11am-11.30pm.