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Category: Food & Drink

Bloomsday at Gallagher’s Boxty House

Join us at Gallagher’s Boxty House at Temple Bar this Bloomsday weekend. We will have a few specials in the restaurant to celebrate the life of James Joyce and his famous book Ulysses. We’ll be serving a special menu with:
– The Ulysses sandwich (soda bread with gorgonzola, lettuce, dijon mustard and butter; our famous boxty fries on the side)
– The Joyce Sour (our classic version of whiskey sour with a touch of red wine)
At 12pm on Bloomsday, Sunday, June 16th, we will have a performance and reading of Ulysses followed by traditional live music we have every Sunday. For more information, please email us at info@boxtyhouse.ie or call us at 01 677 2762.

Bloomsday in Dunshaughlin

Join the Dunshaughlin Players on Bloomsday, Sunday June 16th for fun and mayham in Dunshaughlin, County Meath. The Players and friends will be acting out some of the Ulysses stories at locations on the Main Street, starting at Lidl carpark at 2pm and strolling up to the Pastoral Centre for tea/coffee and music and the Curlew Theatre’s play NORAMOLLYANNALIVIALUCIA.

Free to join. Donations are welcome!

Bloomsday Swim at Sandycove Beach

The Dublin Sea Swimming Club invites you to drive into Ulysses (figuratively) by diving into the waters of Sandycove Beach (literally) on Bloomsday, Sunday June 16th at 10am-1pm. Join the likes of Buck Mulligan, who also swam in nearby Forty Foot in the Telemachus episode of Ulysses, and Joyce, who lived by nearby Martello Tower, which served as the basis for the Telemachus episode.

“A voice, sweettoned and sustained, called to him from the sea. Turning the curve he waved his hand. It called again. A sleek brown head, a seal’s, far out on the water, round.”

Straw hats and Joycean attire not compulsory but certainly encouraged. Let’s celebrate Bloomsday by having a swim in Joycean attire.

Read

The final lines of Molly’s soliloquy will be read by the entrance of the James Joyce Tower & Museum.

Swim

Let’s have a dive into the “snotgreen” and “scrotumtightening sea.” The swim is at your own risk! The group has no lifeguards and only arranges the meeting point. Make sure you have enough layers to keep warm before and after the swim, bring something warm to drink too. Some wear wetsuits, others don’t so, some want to swim a bit of distance, others just want dip and get out. It’s your swim, do what you want and meet the group after.

Eat

Having demonstrated our incredible bravery, we will continue our adventure at a local café (time and venue TBC later, will try and source one that hopefully provides Joycean fare). Eating and drinking are at your own risk too.

For more information, please visit https://www.meetup.com/dublin-sea-swimming/events/301116448/.

The event is free.

Bloomsday Villages: Sandymount

Sandymount Community Centre, Sandymount Tidy Towns Community Association in partnership with Dublin City Council’s South East Area Community Team is proud to present Bloomsday Villages: Sandymount on Sunday, June 16th.

11am: Elevenses with Leopold
Venue: Sandymount Community Centre, Newbridge Avenue, Dublin 4
Enjoy an elegant start to your Bloomsday with morning coffee, croissants and a dash of gentle Joycean entertainment. €5 admission with proceeds going to the Centre. Tickets are sold at the door.

1pm: Ulysses Goes Wild in Sandymount
Meeting Point: Sandymount Green, Sandymount, Dublin 4
Join author of “Wild Dublin”, Eanna Ní Lamhna, star of RTÉ’s The Mooney Show and Virgin Media’s The Six O’Clock Show, for a 60-minute nature tour inspired by the “marriage of trees” from the Cyclops episode of Ulysses. This event will be followed by some street theatre in the village. The event is free and open to the public.

Bloomsday at Buck Mulligan’s

Celebrate Bloomsday at Buck Mulligan’s in Dún Laoighaire!

This year’s Bloomsday collides with our music showcase on Sundays, meaning there will be a line up of unique and exciting talents in traditional dress. We have just booked “The Gramophone Social” from 1pm-3pm, playing genuine original records from the early 1900s.

The day will feature some exciting signature cocktails including the ‘Nora’, our gin and elderflower sour to add to the festivities. We are also giving away pints for the customers in dress and will have prizes for best dressed.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Boulevard Bloom

“the thoroughfare hitherto known as Cow Parlour off Cork Street be henceforth designated Boulevard Bloom.”

So says former Lord Mayor of Dublin Timothy Harrington in James Joyce’s Ulysses. And who are we to object?

On Thursday 13th of June, ‘The Tenters Celebrated’ heritage group would like to cordially invite you to join us in Cow Parlour off Cork Street in Dublin 8 for our Boulevard Bloom event. The morning will start with a brief introduction to the history of Cow Parlour, which has been in existence for at least 300 years. We will then be joined by Mr Harrington, who will propose the renaming of Cow Parlour to ‘Boulevard Bloom’. We are confident that there will be no objections to the proposal and for it to be carried unanimously. After the official business is completed, we will have a cuppa and cake, seated at linen covered tables more suited to the new Boulevard status of Cow Parlour. Music and singing will of course be the order of the morning.

We are encouraging the wearing of hats to add to the Bloomsday atmosphere. All are welcome. Rest assured, this renaming of Cow Parlour to Boulevard Bloom will only be a temporary one……All in the spirit of Leopold Bloom!

Bloomsday Festival 2024 Launch & Reception

Come join us at the James Joyce Centre on Tuesday, June 11th at 6pm for the formal launch of this year’s Bloomsday Festival. The Bloomsday Festival is in full-swing this year with close to one-hundred separate events on June 11th-16th throughout Dublin. Our reception will feature talks and readings (and some wine!) as we celebrate another year of Bloomsday celebrations. We will be joined by British artist Jo Hamill as she introduces our new art exhibition Gutter Words. French artist Rémi Rousseau will also be on hand as he introduces his new art exhibition Ulysses: Illustrations. Join festival goers around Dublin and the world as we kick off this extraordinary time of the year!

The event is free but booking is essential.

Bloomsday at Blooms: Afternoon Tea at the Belvedere Hotel

Experience a unique afternoon tea this Bloomsday, the 16th of June from 1:30 to 3:30pm at our Blooms Restaurant in the Belvedere Hotel, Great Denmark Street.

Enjoy delicious gorgonzola sandwiches, banbury cakes, rhubarb tarts, and more sweets and treats inspired by Ulysses whilst tasting fine loose-leaf teas. Add a glass of prosecco with orange curacao liqueur (Joyce’s favourite drink) for an additional €8.

Tickets are €30. To book, click the link or call us at (01) 873 7700.

Bloomsday at MoLI – Museum of Literature Ireland

Come celebrate Bloomsday in MoLI – Museum of Literature Ireland on St. Stephen’s Green. MoLI is situated in the Newman House, where James Joyce (and Stephen Dedalus) went to university when it was the campus of University College.

5PM: Dedalus Lecture with Fintan O’Tolle

Journalist and author Fintan O’Toole delivers the museum’s annual lecture inspired by Ulysses.

Fintan O’Toole is a writer and author. His books include We Don’t Know Ourselves: A Personal History of Ireland Since 1958Heroic Failure: Brexit and the Politics of Pain, and Ship of Fools: How Stupidity and Corruption Sank the Celtic Tiger. A member of the Royal Irish Academy, he is a winner of the European Press Prize and the Orwell Prize. He is also professor of Irish letters at Princeton University.

Tickets are €18.

7-10PM: MoLI Bloomsday Garden Party

Round off your Bloomsday celebrations at the MoLI Bloomsday Garden Party – held across the museum’s beautiful exhibitions and gardens. Celebrate 102 years of Joyce’s Ulysses with a glass in hand, and live music from Ireland’s most exciting musicians and rappers, whose adventure with language echoes Joyce’s own fearlessness with words. A guaranteed highlight of the summer!

Includes a welcome drink on arrival. Presented in partnership with the Dublin Liberties Distillery. Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult.

Offica has redefined what it means to be an Irish rapper, breaking records with a run of classic singles and game-changing freestyles. He has carved a niche for himself by seamlessly incorporating Irish and Yoruba slang into his lyrics, providing a unique window into his culture and identity. Watch video

Celine is a talented musician known for her unique style and storytelling in true rap. She has gained a strong following for her emotional lyrics and captivating performances. Watch video

Emmy Shigeta is a Japanese DJ whose love for music developed while working in a record store in Tokyo. Now based in Dublin, she loves to play ambient (環境音楽), city pop, and the latest underground J-pop in various venues and on her monthly Dublin Digital Radio show.

Tickets are €24.

Bloomsday at Davy Byrnes

“He entered Davy Byrnes. Moral pub. He doesn’t chat. Stands a drink now and then. But in a leap year once in four. Cashed a cheque for me once.” Ulysses

Davy Byrnes pub opened its doors in 1889. Thirty-one years later it was thrust in to international fame with the publication of James Joyce’s Ulysses when Leopold Bloom visits for a glass of burgundy and a gorgonzola cheese sandwich in the ‘Lestrygonians’ episode. Bloom stands and chats with the owner, Davy Byrne, about life and his appetite before continuing on his odyssey. Ever since Bloomsday has been celebrated, Davy Byrnes has been at its heart.

This year, the iconic pub will be hosting an afternoon of festivities to mark the day with music, performances, and readings. Bring Ulysses to life (and order a gorgonzola or two) in this historic city centre environment!

The event is free. No booking required.

Further information: https://davybyrnes.com/

Bloomsday Villages: Ringsend/Irishtown

The Ringsend & District Historical Society in partnership with Dublin City Council’s South East Area Community Team is proud to present Bloomsday Villages: Ringsend/Irishtown on June 15th and 16th. Ringsend is where James Joyce and Nora Barnacle had their first date on June 16th, 1904 — the date on which Ulysses is set. What better way to celebrate Bloomsday than to spend it where it all began!

Saturday, June 15th  

11 am: Ringsend Library
A lecture by the DCC Historian in Residence Cormac Moore, ‘The Life of Constance Markievicz’

12pm: Ringsend Library
A walking Tour with Eddie Bohan, ‘In The Footsteps of Joyce 1904.’ Departs & ends at the Ringsend Library.

1.30pm: Bus Tour
A 45-minute bus tour courtesy of the Big Bus Open Top. The tour takes place in Sandymount Strand, the Green and Irishtown.

3pm: Ringsend Library
An outdoor ballad/folksong session.

Sunday, June 16th  

10.30am: Thorncastle Street
A horse and carriage parade to Ringsend Park, departing from Thorncastle Street. Tour route: Irishtown Road, Pembroke Street, Strasburg Terrace with a Ulysess performance, Ringsend Park, return via Caroline Row, Fitzwilliam Street to the RICC Centre. The event will feature the unveiling of a plaque and seat dedicated to James Joyce and Nora Barnacle commemorating their first date with thanks to Dublin City Council.

12.30pm: RICC Centre 
The Bloomsday Brunch featuring live music, food and period dress.

4 pm: CYMS Hall, Ringsend
The Writers Adventure, ‘Remembering Ringsend.’ A short story and poetry prize presentation. Books tokens (€200, €100 & €75) awarded courtesy of Savvi, Irishtown.

The events are free and open to the public.

Vintage Tea Trips Bloomsday Bus Tour

The James Joyce Centre is proud to partner with Vintage Tea Trips for a special Bloomsday afternoon tea celebrating all things Dublin and James Joyce! Sip on some delicious tea and delicacies while diving into the world of Ulysses and exploring the vibrant city that inspired it on this special bus tour.

Whether you are a diehard fan or just curious about this literary masterpiece, this event is perfect for all. Get ready for a fun and enlightening experience that will leave you feeling like a true Dubliner.

Afternoon tea is a much-cherished tea-related ritual from the early 1840s that continued well into the Edwardian era, when Ulysses is set. It was a mini-meal to fill the gap between lunch and dinner and was composed of scones with clotted cream and jam, delicately cut sandwiches, sweets and delicious cakes. In this tour, you may choose from a traditional, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy free or vegan afternoon tea.

Savour all your favourites — freshly made sandwiches, desserts, cakes, and pastries — as your bus travels through downtown Dublin. Pass sights such as Stephen’s Green, Christ Church, Trinity College, St. Stephen’s Green, Wood Quay, O’Connell Street, Phoenix Park, and the grand buildings of Georgian Dublin.

Our tour guide will point out the varoius references of these places in Ulysses. Feel free to dress up in your finest Edwardian garb as you listen to passages of and explanations of Joyce’s classic novel.

There are many Joycean tours of Dublin, but none of them are quite as comfortable and delicious as this one!

Please note:

  • The tour starts at 3:30pm. The bus is on a strict timetable and can not wait for latecomers. As such, please make arrangements to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled departure.
  • The pick-up location is 20-22 St. Stephen’s Green North, Dublin 2, across the road from Stephen Court. The tour ends at St. Stephen’s Green.
  • The tour lasts 70-80 minutes, depending on the traffic.
  • Bus seating is assigned on a first-booked, first-served basis, beginning with filling the upper deck first and then the lower deck. Guests may be required to share a table. For group seating and other options, please email or call the VVT team 72 hours in advance.
  • Any allergies, specific dietary requirements or changes to requirements must be confirmed over email or by phone with the VTT team 72 hours in advance. If the allergy can’t be facilitated, the VVT team will be in contact. For a list of allergens, click this link.
  • For FAQs, click this link.

For more information about Vintage Tea Tours (including full Terms & Conditions), please visit www.vintageteatrips.ie.

Email: teamvtt@vintageteatrips.ie

Phone: 01 255 1777

The Citizens’ Breakfast

The Citizens’ Breakfast is a lively promenade play written by Gráinne O Kelly and Tara Derrington that celebrates June 16th 1904, when James Joyce set off from his lodgings at No. 60 Shelbourne Road to go on his first date with Nora Barnacle, his lifelong partner and eventual wife. Their date would be immortalised as the day on which Ulysses is set, since christened as Bloomsday!

The play is performed by Damien Davaney and Fiona Browne with guest appearances by members of the local community along the street.

Act 1 (about 30 minutes) takes place outside on the street (free for all) consisting of five vignettes. Then the action moves in Act 2 to local hostelry Slattery’s Pub (ticketed entry only). You will sup and taste a morsel or two with Joyce, Bloom, and other characters. There is harp music with light refreshment served. We will finish with a little sing song!

Dress up (or down) in Edwardian style if you wish!

When?

15 June 2024. Two separate performances at 11:30am and 3:30pm.

Duration?

1 hour and 15 mins. Please arrive 10 mins before start time.

Where?

We will meet at 68 Shelbourne Road, Dublin 4 D04 R3N0.

Cost?

Tickets are €12.50 via Eventbrite.

The event is organised in partnership with the Lansdowne and District Residents’ Association. Thanks also to Aviva Stadium Community Fund, Slattery’s Pub, Codling Wind Park & Lotts & Co Beggar’s Bush for their core support.

Bloomsday Breakfast at Belvedere College

Belvedere College in association with the James Joyce Centre is delighted to host the Bloomsday Breakfast on Sunday, June 16th at 8:30am and 10:30am.

Leopold Bloom is introduced in Ulysses eating his breakfast: “Mr Leopold Bloom ate with relish the inner organs of beasts and fowls. . .” Come enjoy this unique gastroliterary tradition in Belvedere College, in the very rooms where Joyce studied from 1893 to 1898. Joyce wrote about his student days at Belvedere College throughout his life, particularly in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.

You will dine in “the heart of the Hibernian metropolis,” around the corner from where Leopold and Molly Bloom had their home at 7 Eccles Street and close to where Joyce lived until he emigrated from Ireland with Nora Barnacle in 1904.

The ticket includes:
-A special Bloomsday breakfast (full-Irish with Bloom’s beloved kidneys).
-Dramatic readings and performances from Ulysses.
-Songs from Ulysses and Joyce’s other works.

There are two sittings at 8:30am and 10:30am.

Tickets are €50. To make a booking, please contact Rebecca Mills at rmills@belvederecollege.ie or +353 1 858 6644.

Bloomsday at the James Joyce Centre

The James Joyce Centre welcomes you to its doors to celebrate the greatest time of the year — Bloomsday!

The James Joyce Centre is proud to organise the Bloomsday Festival on behalf of the city of Dublin. As a token of our appreciation to Dublin and all the participants of Bloomsday, we will be open free of charge on Sunday, June 16th from 9:30am to 4:30pm. Come see Leopold Bloom’s door from No. 7 Eccles Street, where it all began. Browse our exhibitions, parlour rooms, and interactive guides to Joyce’s life and work. Marvel at the beautifully preserved 18th century townhouse, a stunning example of high Georgian architecture. See the Maginni Room, named after “Mr Denis J Maginni, professor of dancing &c,” the real-life dance instructor who used the room as his dance studio and is mentioned in Ulysses! There will be readings, talks, music, children’s events, and fun throughout the day!

Feel free to dress up in your finest bowler hats and Edwardian garb as you join visitors from around the world for an unparalleled literary occasion. For more information, visit our website at www.jamesjoyce.ie.

We hope to see you there!

Bloomsday at Delahunt

Delahunt of Camden Street will be offering a menu of drinks and bites inspired by the “lashings of stuff” we used to serve back on the days of James Joyce’s Ulysses. We are welcoming our guests in The Sitting Room, “the good room” turned to cocktail bar in this gracefully old Victorian building. Reservations encouraged as we are a small space but walk-ins are welcome.

Bloomsday at Sweny’s Pharmacy

Sweny’s Pharmacy is famously featured in the fifth episode of Ulysses, known as “Lotus Eaters.” This delightful little shop has survived since 1847 and today still has all its original fixtures and fittings. Now run by volunteers, Sweny’s opens its doors to welcome people on their Bloomsday adventure. Wait by the counter like Leopold Bloom, absorbing the authentic atmosphere. Watch the chemist at work with his herbs and ointments among “all his alabaster lilypots.” Pick up a bar of lemon soap (“sweet lemony wax”) that you can carry with you all day, just like Bloom. Get involved in a reading of Ulysses, enjoy a cup of tea and share epic tales about your own life. You might even get a chance to join in an Edwardian singsong.

From Monday 10 to Saturday 16 June, a performance and reading will take place in Sweny’s at 12.30pm from “Lotus Eaters.”

On Bloomsday itself, there will be merriment in this hidden Joycean gem throughout the day and into the evening, starting with a Bloomsday Breakfast from 10am at Kennedy’s Pub across the street at which there will be readings and performances.

Further information can be found on www.sweny.ie. The events are free.