Bloomsday in Montreal

Bloomsday Montréal has several events on June 13-16 commemorating James Joyce’s novel Ulysses. This bold, fearless novel by James Joyce walks us through the lives of workaday Dubliners as it re-imagines the Greek myth, and spins its tale through the hero’s sensual and self-examining interior monologue.

IRISH WRITERS & A LIVING HISTORY OF THE MONTRÉAL IRISH

40% of Québecers have some Irish ancestry — one of many cultural markers that signal the great diversity of Montréal. We are inspired by the inclusive potential of this diversity to bring history into the present and make it relevant.

We spotlight the work of this remarkable modernist author and all the fine Irish writers — before and after Joyce — who seize our imaginations with their masterful narratives gifts.

The exploration of a hard-won place for immigrants in the new Canadian culture threads through each year’s program. Talented artists and musicians, music, walking tours, films,documentaries, lectures and readings from Irish literature – especially Joyce’s Ulysses — show us how it really was and how Irish heritage shaped the city we know today. In this way, even as part of a larger international celebration, our Bloomsday is a uniquely Montréal event.

We are the largest Bloomsday festival in Canada with event-filled days that stretch over five to six days. We bring down the curtain on Bloomsday itself — June 16. Over the years, festival-goers have come to enjoy an expanding variety of educational, cultural and social events.

In October 2014, Festival Bloomsday Montréal became a registered non-profit organization, managed and organized entirely by volunteers. All funds derived from donations and registrations are used to produce the festival. Activities are open to the public and many are free of charge. The Canada Revenue Agency granted charitable status to Festival Bloomsday Montréal in April 2015.

SCHEDULE

13 June, 12:30-1:30pm, Atwater Library

Danny Boy: An abridged concert version of an original musical inspired by the world’s most beloved Irish ballad by Lisa Forget and Chris Barillaro.

14 June, 10am-12pm, Concordia University Hall Building Room H-561

Academic Morning: Jérôme Aan de Wiel, PhD discusses his rediscovery of a long-forgotten chapter in Irish history and Ireland’s international relations. Ireland’s Helping Hand to Europe: Combatting Hunger from Normandy to Tirana, 1945-1950. “Welcoming the Stranger?: From Rudolph Bloom to Ukrainians in Ireland Since 2022.” Kerry McElroy, PhD Concordia and international investigative journalist (Kyiv Post, The Independent), discusses Ireland’s ongoing response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, including the reception of refugees from Ukraine and the nation’s changing understanding of identity and immigrants over the last decade. Donations welcome!

14 June, 12:30-2pm, The Old Dublin Pub

Pub Lunch: Montreal’s oldest Irish pub offers beers on tap and an extensive menu of hearty dishes.

14 June, 2:30-3:45pm, St. Patrick’s Basilica

St. Patrick’s Basilica Tour: Led by sacristan, Alexander Ferrant, PhD. Learn about the importance of this institution beyond its magnificent architecture and religious significance including the story of Darcy McGee, Canada’s only political martyr. Donations to St. Patrick’s welcome.

15 June, 6:30-9pm, J.A. de Séve Cinema

Film Screening: The Future Tense, a documentary film by Joe Lawlor and Christine Molloy in conjunction with CinéGael. In this fiercely personal documentary, two award-winning filmmakers explore the themes of connection and belonging. When two Irish filmmakers travel home from London with their daughter, they reflect on their relation to Ireland,and their adopted home, England. They explore their own experiences in ageing, parenting, and mental illness, along with the brutal history that lies beneath Ireland’s heavy earth. Watch the trailer here.

16 June, 11am-4:30pm, Westmount Library

Ulysses Out Loud: June 16 is BLOOMSDAY, the day made famous in James Joyce’s groundbreaking novel, Ulysses. Festival Bloomsday Montreal brings the book to riotous, ribald life in the Westmount Room with dramatized readings by fan favourites, Clive Brewer, Ellen Rubin, Ann Elbourne, and others. Molly Bloom’s lubricious nighttime musings, read by Kathleen Fee accompanied by the sweet Irish harmonies of Gráinne, bring the event to a close. 11:00 am-4:30 pm with a break for lunch. Tea and coffee will be served. Donations welcome!