Mullingar will celebrate its unique connection with one of the world’s greatest literary figures this June with a series of special walking tours marking Bloomsday.
The guided tours, led by local historian and Joyce enthusiast Ruth Illingworth, will take place on June 16 at 11am, 3pm and 7pm, departing from the Greville Arms Hotel. The event offers residents and visitors alike an opportunity to explore Mullingar through the eyes of renowned Irish writer James Joyce.
Although Joyce spent only short periods in the town during the summers of 1900 and 1901, Mullingar left a lasting impression on him. The celebrated author, whose masterpiece Ulysses is commemorated annually on Bloomsday, never forgot his experiences in the town.
Participants will follow in Joyce’s footsteps, discovering what life was like in Mullingar at the turn of the twentieth century. The tours will visit locations associated with Joyce’s time in the town, including the historic Greville Arms Hotel and the railway station, while also providing insights into the social and cultural atmosphere that shaped the Ireland of his youth.
Organisers hope the event will appeal to both dedicated Joyce readers and those with an interest in local history. The tours aim to highlight Mullingar’s place within Ireland’s rich literary heritage and offer a fresh perspective on the town’s past.
Admission is €5 for adults, while children can attend free of charge.
For further information or to book a place, contact Ruth Illingworth on 087 947 2583 or email ruthillingworthmullingar@gmail.com.
On 16 June annually, #Bloomsday is celebrated to mark the day on which James Joyce’s epic novel, Ulysses, is set.
Ulysses follows the lives of three characters, Stephen Dedalus, Leopold Bloom and Molly Bloom on a single day in 1904 and is a celebration of the city of Dublin in which it is set. However, it is through the Blooms’ daughter Milly, who is working as a photographer’s apprentice in Mullingar that the connection with Westmeath is made.
Mullingar is renowned as being the only place in Ireland outside of Dublin where James Joyce lived, as he spent some time here during the summers of 1901 and 1902 while his father was employed by Westmeath County Council to work on the Electoral Registers for Mullingar.
This connection has been explored in depth by local author Leo Daly, in his seminal 1975 work, James Joyce and Mullingar Connection. To mark Bloomsday, an exhibition about James Joyce is currently available for public viewing in Mullingar Library.