On Bloomsday, Tuesday, 16th June, join Dublin historian Terry Fagan on a special two-hour walking tour around Monto, one of the most notorious redlight districts in all of Europe at the turn of the 20th century, what James Joyce immortalised as “Nighttown” in the “Circe” episode of Ulysses.
Walk the streets steeped in history as Terry explains the stories of Monto madams, their cruel pimps, and the women trapped in a life of prostitution. Stories of murders and mayhem. How the women in the brothels gathered intelligence and guns from British soldiers to give to the IRA. How they helped unmask a British spy during the Irish War of Independence. Hear about the 1925 police raid on Monto’s brothels and their closure, followed by a large-scale religious march by Frank Duff and his Legion of Mary.
See and hear about 82 Tyrone (now Railway) Street, the location of Bella Cohen’s brothel that Leopold Bloom and Stephen Dedalus visit in Ulysses.
This is a unique opportunity to explore an area of Dublin unlike any other, one frequented by paupers and princes (literally) and remembered by the likes of Joyce and the Irish band The Dubliners, among many others.
Schedule
11am: Unveiling of the “Ladies of the Night” plaque on Foley Street behind Cleary’s Pub.
12.15pm: Walking tour of the Monto. Starts from the corner of James Joyce and Talbot Street. The tour will end at Cleary’s Pub for refreshments and more entertainment.
Don your best Edwardian attire and join us for an unforgettable Bloomsday experience!
The event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Terry at folkloreproject20@gmail.com.