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Category: Music

James Joyce and The Great Irish Poets Songbook

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The Bloomsday Festival is delighted to present a wonderful evening of poetry and song – James Joyce and The Great Irish Poets Songbook, with tenor Dean Power and composer and pianist James Hurley. They will perform settings of texts by some of Ireland’s best-known writers and poets, composed and arranged by pianist James Hurley, who will accompany Dean on piano. Highlights of the programme will include a selection of chamber music originally written by James Joyce, as well as settings of Easter 1916, The Lake Isle of Inisfree and The Salley Gardens by WB Yeats. You will hear also some intriguing settings of poems by Oscar Wilde and by Fanny Parnell, sister of Charles Stewart Parnell along with poets Susan L. Mitchell and Katharine Tynan. The programme will contain updated versions of previously composed songs as well as 2 world premieres.

Irish tenor Dean Power is a former member of the ensemble at the Bayerische Staatsoper. Dean’s recent operatic engagements have included singing Jaquino in a unique semi-staged performance of Fidelio under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel with The Dudamel Foundation. He also debuted at the Salzburger Festspiele, for Irish National Opera. On the concert platform, Dean has performed at the Royal Albert Hall with the L.S.O, at Teatro Nacional de Sao Carlos in Lisbon, the National Symphony Orchestra, the Prague Symphony orchestra and the National Concert Orchestra.

James Hurley is a classical pianist with a passion for improvisation. He studied piano performance at the Memorial University of Newfoundland (2008) and music at the New England Conservatory, Boston (2010). In 2011, James moved to Germany, where he and his wife opened Più Piano – a live performance venue and piano school, located in Neuburg an der Donau. In 2017 he released a solo piano CD entitled Nightscapes, and has since curated hours of live improvisations which continue to be released on streaming platforms.

Ulysses Ballads

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A recital of new and original ballads by Val O’Donnell written to the airs of music mentioned in Ulysses on Saturday, June 14th at 6pm. The performance will include a selection from 18 Ballads Inspired by James Joyce’s Ulysses by Val O’Donnell published in 2024.

The ballads are a collection of new and original ballads written to the airs of music mentioned in Ulysses or otherwise connected with James Joyce and his work. The subjects of the ballads are characters who are featured in the novel.

Copies of 18 Ballads will be available on sale at the performance.

Tickets are €10.

Bloomsday at the James Joyce Centre

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The James Joyce Centre opens its doors to celebrate the greatest day 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 to the public for free on Monday, 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.

Admission is free and open to the public. No booking is necessary.

We hope to see you there!

Bloomsday Festival 2025 Launch & Reception

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Join us at The James Joyce Centre on Wednesday, June 11th at 6.30pm for the formal launch of this year’s Bloomsday Festival!

The Bloomsday Festival is in full-swing this year with up to 100 events on June 11th-16th throughout Dublin. Our reception will feature talks, music, readings and some wine as we celebrate another year of Bloomsday celebrations. Join festival goers around Dublin and the world as we kick off this extraordinary time of the year.

On Bloomsday, we are all Dubliners.

The event is free but booking is essential. Doors open at 6pm.

 

His Art Belongs to Dada: A Joycean Cabaret

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Kick off The Bloomsday Festival weekend celebrations at The James Joyce Centre on Friday, June 13th at 7pm with a Joyce-themed cabaret of readings, performance, music and natter, hosted by author David Collard.

Collard will be joined by novelist Rónán Hession (aka Mumblin’ Deaf Ro and performing his own songs with his son Jacob), author and poet Nuala O’Connor (reading from her latest poetry collection Menagerie) and American actress and voice artist Stephanie Ellyne. Surprises and beneficial shocks are guaranteed at this informal one-off gathering, with a nod to 1920s Dada cabaret. All are welcome – not just Joyceans!

David Collard writes for print and online publications including the Times Literary Supplement, Literary Review, 3:AM Magazine, gorse, Exacting Clam, White Review and others. He is the author of Multiple Joyce: One Hundred Short Essays about James Joyce’s Cultural Legacy (2020) and A Crumpled Swan (2025). He lives in London, where he organises cultish online literary gatherings.

Stephanie Ellyne is an American actress based in London. Stage credits include Rest Upon the Wind (Riverside Studios, Theatre Royal Haymarket, and tours to the UAE) and playing Virginia Woolf in Mad Women in Attics (New Wimbledon Theatre). Her voice work includes the British/American audio serial Dark Shadows, nominated for the BBC Audio Drama Awards, and narrating the 45-hour audiobook of Lucy Ellmann’s Ducks, Newburyport for which she was commended in the New York Times. (Ellmann’s novel was described in The Irish Times by Declan O’Driscoll as ‘one of the outstanding books of the century, so far’ and as such an equivalent to Ulysses.) She has recorded short stories for the annual Costa Awards and is a frequent narrator for RNIB Talking Books.

Rónán Hession is a writer, musician and civil servant from Dublin. His debut novel Leonard and Hungry Paul was nominated for the Irish Book Awards, British Book Awards, the BAMB awards, and long-listed for the Republic of Consciousness prize. His third album Dictionary Crimes was nominated for the Choice Music Prize for Irish Album of the Year. His second novel Panenka was published by Bluemoose in 2021 and his third, Ghost Mountain, in 2024. He will be performing tonight as his musical alter ego “Mumblin’ Deaf Ro,” accompanied by his son Jacob.

Nuala O’Connor lives in Co. Galway. Her poetry and fiction have been widely published, anthologised, and won many literary awards. Her sixth novel Seaborne, about Irish-born pirate Anne Bonny, was nominated for the Dublin Literary Award and was shortlisted for Eason Novel of the Year at the 2024 A Post Irish Book Awards. Her novel Nora (New Island), about Nora Barnacle and James Joyce, was a Top 10 historical novel in the New York Times. She won Irish Short Story of the Year at the 2022 A Post Irish Book Awards. Her fifth poetry collection, Menagerie, was recently published by Arlen House.

Tickets are €25. Doors open at 6.30pm.

Cover image: Anne Marie Hantho

David Collard
Stephanie Ellyne
Rónán Hession
Nuala O’Connor

The Waking Dead with Patrick Callan

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Join us at The James Joyce Centre for a special Bloomsday Festival launch of an exciting new work of scholarship by historian Patrick Callan on Sunday, June 15th at 7pm.

Death in Dublin During the Era of James Joyce’s Ulysses (2025, Routledge) focuses on the funeral of Paddy Dignam in James Joyce’s Ulysses, which serves as the pivotal event of the ‘Hades’ episode. This volume explores how Dignam’s interment in Glasnevin Cemetery allowed Joyce the freedom to consider the conventions, rituals and superstitions associated with death and burial in Dublin.

Integrating the words and characters of Ulysses with its figurative locale, the book looks at the presence of Dublin in Ulysses, and Ulysses in Dublin. It emphasises the highly visible public role assigned to death in Joyce’s world, while also appreciating how it is woven into the universe of Ulysses. The study examines the role of Glasnevin Cemetery – where the Joyce family plot was opened in 1880 and remained in use for eight decades – as well as the social and medical problems associated with life in Dublin, a city divided by class, status, wealth and health. Nineteen burials took place in Glasnevin on 16 June 1904, and the analysis of this group illuminates the role of undertakers and insurers, along with the importance of memorialisation.

This book is an important contribution to Joyce and Irish studies, as well as to international studies related to the treatment of the dead body and the development of garden cemeteries.

Author Patrick Callan will offer insights of his work and answer questions from the audience. The talk will be followed by music and readings to celebrate the eve of Bloomsday, June 16th.

Patrick Callan is Visiting Research Fellow at Trinity College Dublin. His work on Ulysses and the role of radio in Joyce’s work has appeared in the James Joyce Quarterly (2021), the Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television (2019), and the Dublin James Joyce Journal (2018–20).

The event is free but booking is essential. Doors open at 6.30pm.

Soirée With Molly

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Join us at The James Joyce Centre for an evening of song and the meanderings of Molly Bloom as she lays in her bed in the small hours of the morning performed by Caitriona Ní Threasaigh and Aching Shaiza on Satuday, June 15th at 7pm. Through this piece of stream-of-consciousness prose, songs are interwoven to enhance Molly’s story, giving a flavour of her operatic world as she contemplates her life and loves, past and present.

Caitríona Ní Threasaigh studied at The Gaiety School of Acting (2011-13), the Michael Chekov Technique with Joerg Andres (2012-14) and Clown Through Mask with Sue Morrison (Canada ’17, ’19, ’23). A selection of her stage work includes Molly Bloom’s Soliliquy, 30 minute solo piece (’13-’25), Aches And Pains (’23), Questions, Questions!!, a clown show, (’23), The Tempest (Berlin ’16), and Aufseherin (’14). A selecetion from screen includes The Dry, RTE (’23), Saol Ella, TG4, (’23), Ros na Rún, TG4, (’14&’23), The West Kerry Cowboy (’17), Finky (Feature, Cine 4, ’18), and Deeper Thing (Feature, Nigeria, ’18). Several music videos include New Friends (’21), All Time (’20), Altar Wine and All I Ever Wanted (’19).

Aching Shaiza, an opera singer, is a graduate from Patkai Christian College, Nagaland and holds ATCL, Dip. ABRSM, Performer’s Certificate in both Piano and Voice. Former IB and HS choir music teacher at The American Embassy School, The British School and at The Delhi School of Music, she has performed in London, Birmingham, Switzerland, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, NCPA Mumbai, India fashion weeks and facilitates music workshops in Asia and Europe. She works in the Piano/Voice faculty at Caux Artist Program, Switzerland and is the Head of Department for voice at THEME Music Institute, Delhi NCR.

Tickets are €20. Doors open at 6.30pm.

Heigho! Heigho! St. George’s Church Bells

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Hear the bellringers of Christ Church Taney ring the actual bells from James Joyce’s Ulysses. In Ulysses, the bells of St. George’s Church, Hardwicke Street, appear several times starting when Leopold Bloom hears them from his home at 7 Eccles Street:

“A creak and a dark whirr in the air high up. The bells of George’s church. They tolled the hour: loud dark iron. Heigho! Heigho! Heigho! Heigho! Heigho! Heigho! Quarter to. There again: the overtone following through the air. A third. Poor Dignam!”

In 1990, when St. George’s Church was being sold, the bells were saved by a committee who worked tirelessly to protect them, with storage provided by Taney parishioner George Cooke. This incredible work has ensured that the Christ Church Taney Tower could be a wonderful new home for these very special bells. This Bloomsday, join us for a unique musical event with the bellringers of Taney followed by tea, coffee and a chat until 5pm. After hearing the St. George’s bells being rung from 3-4pm, there will also be an opportunity for visitors to chime a bell. If you are interested in doing this, please send us an email at taneybellringers@gmail.com.

Heigho! Heigho!

The event is free and open to the public.

Bloomsday Belles

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Join us at the James Joyce Centre for Bloomsday Belles on Sunday, June 15th at 5pm.

Bloomsday Belles is a multidisciplinary performance of original music and song, composed and performed by critically acclaimed musician Emer Kenny, inspired by the female characters in Ulysses. The performance will include selected excerpts from Ulysses. In addition to original composition and Ulysses text read by spoken word poet Mikey Cullen, the performance will include live Spanish music from the period representing Molly’s youth and heritage, performed by multi award winning concert harp soloist, Rosie Murphy. The music and text will be interpreted and danced by the brilliant Ukrainian contemporary dancer, Polina Skarha.

Molly, a professional singer is descibed by Leopold as ‘Madam Bloom, the vocal muse and Dublin’s prime favourite.’

“What inspires me about Molly Bloom is her confidence in her own voice and musicianship, her confidence in her sexuality and in her own sexual attractiveness. Molly is resilient, she endures the grief of the loss of her son Rudy. She is irreverent, and funny. And despite their infidelities, both she and Leopold are bound together by their shared history and love. Bloom who works, has a very wide social circle, whereas Molly’s contribution to Ulysses is mainly a monologue in her home. I think Molly is lonely.

Clock chimes and bells feature throughout the work. The Blooms lives are punctuated by the church bells chimes ‘Heigh Ho’ also symbolising the relentless passing of time and the briefness of youth and beauty. The Blooms are Dubliners, though Molly’s mother is Spanish and Bloom’s father is Hungarian. Dublin never was and never will be what the ‘citizen’ hopes for.

“I want to celebrate the cultural diversity of Dublin both past and present.”

The event is free but booking is essential. Doors open at 4.30pm.

Bloomsday Villages: Portobello

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Portobello & St. Kevin’s Tidy Towns in partnership with Dublin City Council’s South East Area Community Team is proud to present Bloomsday Villages: Portobello on Monday, June 16th.

6.30pm: Seven Scenes from Ulysses
Meeting Point: Portobello Harbour, Dublin 8
Portobello is immortalised in Ulysses with Leopold Bloom’s house and birthplace set on Upper Clanbrassil Street. Follow this 60 minute theatrical trail past many of the streets and locations mentioned in the book.

7.30pm: Bloomsday Portobello
Meeting Point: Portobello Community Hall, 46 Bloomfield Avenue, Dublin 8
Wind down on Bloomsday with some light refreshments and entertainment, readings from Eanna Ní Lamhna and a performance from actor Michael Judd, who will recount the story of the 1904 Ascot Gold Cup and the mighty ‘Sceptre’, the greatest filly of all time!

Please email magsie14@gmail.com for more information.

The events are free and open to the public.

Bloomsday at Davy Byrnes

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“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/

All Hallows Bloomsday Choir Concert

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“He had reached the open backdoor of All Hallows.”

Join us this Bloomsday in the beautiful and historic St. Andrew’s Parish Church, Westland Row (also known as All Hallows, where Leopold Bloom observes mass in Ulysses), as we celebrate the Musical Hall era and its influence on James Joyce. Enjoy Joycean favourites found in Ulysses such as “Love’s Old Sweet Song,” “Seaside Girls” and many more. This is a free, family friendly event, commencing at 11am and lasting 30 minutes. All are welcome and singing along is very much encouraged! After the performance there will be a free 15 minute tour of the Church.

The event is free.

Bloomsday Villages: Ranelagh

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Ranelagh Arts Centre in partnership with Dublin City Council’s South East Area Community Team is proud to present Bloomsday Villages: Ranelagh on Monday, June 16th.

11am: Ranelagh Readings on Bloomsday
Meeting Point: Ranelagh Arts Centre, 6 Ranelagh, Dublin 6
Enjoy a celebratory coffee morning of literature with Anne Haverty, Deirdre Mulrooney and other writers who will be reading from their own works and Joyce’s work. Feel free to bring along your own favourite passages and quotes from Ulysses and join in on the readings!

The events are free and open to the public. Please email info.ranelagharts@gmail.com for more information.

Boulevard Bloom

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“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 Chapter 15 (‘Circe’) of James Joyce’s Ulysses. And who are we to object?

The Tenters Celebrated Heritage Group cordially invites you to join us in Cow Parlour off Cork Street in Dublin 8 for our Boulevard Bloom event on Bloomsday, Monday, the 16th of June at 10.45am. 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.

Each year, we are joined by the 6th Class pupils and their teachers from four of the local National Schools.

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!

The event is free and open to the public.

Bloomsday Villages: Ballsbridge

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

3pm: Ulysses Goes Wild in Herbert Park
Meeting Point: Outside Lolly and Cooks Café, Herbert Park, Dublin 4
Get closer to the wild side of Ballsbridge with Eanna Ní Lamhna, star of RTÉ’s The Mooney Show and Virgin Media’s The Six O’Clock Show, for a nature tour inspired by the “marriage of trees” from the Cyclops episode of Ulysses. Tour to last 60 minutes.

4pm: Seven Scenes from Ulysses
Meeting Point: The Bandstand, Herbert Park, Dublin 4
Watch Ulysses come to life on the streets of Ballsbridge in the company of Leopold Bloom, Molly Bloom and Stephen Dedalus!

The events are free and open to the public. Please email hello@ballsbridgeliving.com for more information.

Bloomsday Breakfast at Belvedere College

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Belvedere College SJ is delighted to host The Bloomsday Breakfast in association with The James Joyce Centre on Monday, 16th June 2025 at 8am and 11am. Visitors will have a unique opportunity to dine in the very rooms where Joyce studied from 1893 to 1898.

Throughout his work, Joyce wrote about his student days at Belvedere College, particularly in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. Immerse yourself in the heart of Joycean Dublin, 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 with Nora Barnacle in 1904.

Special performances on the day include:
• Dramatic exerts from Ulysses to celebrate the day
• Songs from Ulysses and other works of Joyce
• Special invited guests including The Joyce Family and Lord Mayor of Dublin.
• Ticket price includes admission to the James Joyce Centre, 35 North Great George’s Street, Dublin.
Tickets are €60.

Bella Musica: Songs of Joyce

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Bella Musica presents a special Bloomsday recital with songs mentioned by Joyce as well as some light excerpts from Ulysses. The programme will include popular hits of the time such as “The Low Back’d Car,” “Love’s Old Sweet Song,” “The Green Isle of Erin,” “She Is Far From The Land,” “I Dreamt I Dwelt In Marble Halls,” and more.  A particularly special treat will be a charming song Joyce wrote the lyrics to called “Out by Donnycarney.”

The concert features Aimee Banks (soprano), John Rownan (tenor), and Connor Wilcox (piano). For any questions about the recital, please email hello@bellamusica.ie or call at 085 130 3259.

Tickets are €20 general, €17 concession. Doors open at 5pm for a 5:15pm start.

Finnegans Wake – Suite of Affections

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Composer and pianist Roger Doyle presents a concert of his music that will include specially chosen readings from James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake, all set to music, from his album Finnegans Wake – Suite Of Affections on Sunday, June 15th at 2pm.

There will be performances by Rosaleen Linehan, Isobel Mahon, Rory Connolly and Mary Costelloe. There will also be a dance piece performed by Tara Nixon O’Neill called ‘Lucia’s Dance’, in memory of Joyce’s daughter Lucia, who was a dancer.

Roger Doyle is an Irish composer best known for his electro-acoustic work and for his piano music for theatre. Roger was made a Saoi of Aosdána in 2019 by President Michael D Higgins, who presented him with a ceremonial torc.

Tickets are €20.

Happy Birthday John McCormack!

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Singer Noel O’Grady performs his “Ode to James Joyce: Portrait of a Tenor” in the Round Room of the Joyce Tower at 2pm. Noel will also celebrate John McCormack’s birthday.

Noel is five time winner of Oireachtas na Gaeilge for traditional singing and has been been described as the “voice of James Joyce.”

Tickets are €10.

Ulysses aWake

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‘All the Ghosts of Ulysses’ is the original music at the heart of this play. Joyce’s characters are set free at the Tower to share their stories in the guise of the Idrone Players’ 18 actors, singers, dancers, and live musicians.

Leopold Bloom’s marriage to Molly is tragically threatened but Ulysses aWake’s opening song, ‘Send out your light and your truth’ (Cuir thuat amach do sholas is do fhírinne), signals that Bloom will be the author of his story. This is his day.

Tickets are free but booking is essential. There will be both seating and standing places available.

Sweny’s Music & Poetry Stroll

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Step into the world of Joyce with music! Sweny’s Music & Poetry Stroll is a musical walking tour led by singer-songwriter Remco Jacobs on 14 and 15 June at 1pm. Beginning and ending at the Joycean landmark Sweny’s Pharmacy, the tour features songs mentioned throughout the works of James Joyce, along with poetry by Joyce and his contemporaries set to music.

The stroll lasts 45-60 minutes and winds from Sweny’s Pharmacy to Merrion Square — once home to Oscar Wilde — then to Finn’s Hotel at the corner of Clare Street and Nassau Street, where Joyce met his wife, Nora Barnacle. From there, the walk returns to Sweny’s. Along the way, songs are sung, and stories — both historical and literary — are shared.

Tickets are €15. Click the following links for tickets:

June 14th

June 15th

Rathgar Bloomsday Festival

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James Joyce was born in Rathgar in 1882. Dress up and come celebrate all things Joyce at Rathgar Village Square, sponsored by Dublin City Council and Rathgar Business Association. They will be readings of Ulysses, jazz from Razzmajazz, food stalls, and face painting and Alpacas for the kids. The event is free of charge and will be outdoors, weather permitting.

Bloomsday Belles

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Bloomsday Belles is a multidisciplinary performance of original music and song, composed and performed by critically acclaimed musician Emer Kenny, inspired by the female characters in Ulysses. The performance will include selected excerpts from Ulysses. In addition to original composition and Ulysses text read by spoken word poet Mikey Cullen, the performance will include live Spanish music from the period representing Molly’s youth and heritage, performed by multi award winning concert harp soloist, Rosie Murphy. The music and text will be interpreted and danced by the brilliant Ukrainian contemporary dancer, Polina Skarha.

Clock chimes and bells feature throughout the work. The Blooms lives are punctuated by the church bells chimes ‘Heigh Ho’ also symbolising the relentless passing of time and the briefness of youth and beauty. The Blooms are both Dubliners, though Molly’s mother is Spanish and Bloom’s father is Hungarian.

Sitting and standing room available. The event is free but booking is essential.

Molly’s Soliloquy Performed by Cáitriona Ní Threasaigh

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Reclining on a bed in the round room, Cáitriona Ní Threasaigh transports us to number seven Eccles Street as Molly Bloom reviews her day and, indeed, her life in this soliloquy from the final episode of Ulysses.

Caitríona Ní Threasaigh is an actor who has also trained in clown. She performed Molly Bloom’s soliloquy at Áras an Uachtarán for the Irish president, Michael D. Higgins and his guests on Bloomsday (2013) and has performed it in the James Joyce Tower in Sandycove for Bloomsday ever since. Other roles include Mamó in Saol Ella, TG4 (2023), Mrs. Corcoran in The Dry, RTE (2023) Chantelle, in the film Deeper Thing (Nigeria 2018), Prospero in Shakespeare’s The Tempest (2015 Berlin, Germany) and Móna, Ros na Rún, Tg4 (2014).

Tickets are €10.

Poems Ago

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The James Joyce Centre is proud to present a lunchtime performance by Poems Ago on Friday, June 13th at 2pm. Poems Ago, the Irish-Dutch musical duo Juliana Hahn and Remco Jacobs, compose and perform music to Irish poetry and play original songs. In this concert, they will perform guitar and violin music set to James Joyce’s Chamber Music (1906) as well as poetry by W.B. Yeats, Oscar Wilde, and contemporary Irish poets. The concert conincides with Yeats’ birthday.

More information about Poems Ago can be found on their website https://www.poemsago.com/.

Tickets are €15.

A Musical Celebration of Joyce’s Ulysses

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The works of James Joyce, who was an accomplished musician himself, are musical landscapes, laden with references to songs and operatic works of the day. The National Concert Hall is proud to present its Bloomsday concert on Friday, June 13th at 1pm in the John Field Room.

Bloomsday is a joyous celebration of arguably the greatest novel in the English language, Ulysses by James Joyce. An accomplished musician himself, the works of Joyce are musical landscapes, laden with references to songs and operatic works of the day. Accompanied by the outstanding pianist, David Wray, Dublin-Born soprano Sandra Oman, in the role of Molly Bloom, will perform such vocal delights as: Love’s Old Sweet Song; The last Rose of Summer; I Dreamt I Dwelt in Marble Halls; The Holy City; Sweet Rosie O’Grady; Oft in the Stilly Night; Silent, O Moyle; Habanera (Carmen); The Lass of Aughrim. Acclaimed actress and television icon Mary McEvoy (Biddy, Glenroe) plays the role of Nora Barnacle, Joyce’s wife, reading extracts from Ulysses and giving the audience a flavour of Dublin in 1904. Molly and Nora, the great loves of Joyce’s life (fictitious and real), converse and reminisce. A concert for lovers of Bloomsday, Joyce or simply beautiful songs of yesteryear!

Presented by Sheldon Nulty Music

Tickets are €22 general, €20 concession.

A Joycean Evening at Dalkey Castle

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Celebrate the more light hearted elements of Joyce’s works by watching a team of professional actors perform enlightening and entertaining extracts from Ulysses, Dubliners and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man at Dalkey Castle.

Sing along with professional singers such as Simon Morgan and Donna Malone, accompanied by Josh Johnston, in songs that James Joyce sang or which feature in his works.

Runs for approximately 2.5 hours. Refreshments will be served.

Tickets are €32.95.

The event is supported by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

Strings in the Earth and Air: The Musical World of James Joyce

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in association with the
James Joyce Centre
brings you

‘Strings in the earth and air…’

The Musical World of James Joyce

with

Nicole Rourke (actor-writer)
&
Benjamin Dwyer (guitarist-composer)

Thursday, 12 June 2025, 7.30pm

Join us in a celebration of Joyce’s fascination with music. With excerpts from the early  poetry collection, Chamber Music, through the melancholic stories of Dubliners, to the ornate worlds of Ulysses and Finnegans Wake, Rourke and Dwyer offer a captivating  programme of Joyce’s musical obsessions.

The show includes excerpts of ‘raw sensuality’ from Nuala O’Conner’s celebrated book Nora: A Love Story of Nora Barnacle and James Joyce and it features a fabulous text by Nicole Rourke exploring the sensual worlds of Nora, Molly and Joyce, called The Lingerie Queen of Dublin. Wine will be served following the show. 

“The Bloomsday 2024 sell-out performance of Strings in the earth and air… was an exquisite celebration of Joyce’s fascination with music and one which the audience adored.” Darina Gallagher, Director Joyce Centre,Dublin

Tickets are €20. Doors open at 7pm.

Bloomsday Villages: Ringsend & Irishtown

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The Ringsend & District Historical Society in partnership with Dublin City Council’s South East Area Community Team and with support by the Ringsend & Irishtown Community Centre is proud to present Bloomsday Villages: Ringsend & Irishtown on June 12-16th. 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!

Thursday, 12th June

7pm: Launch of the Ringsend Bloomsday Festival 2025
Venue: Ringsend & Irishtown Community Centre, Thorncastle Street, Ringsend, Dublin 4
Start your Bloomsday adventures early with an evening of poetry and short story readings from local writers including local school students who are participating in this year’s “Writer’s Adventure” intergenerational project.

Friday, 13th June

11am: Tour of St. Matthews Church
Venue: St. Matthews Church, Irishtown Road, Dublin 4
Take a tour of the historic and recently renovated St. Matthews Church and its graveyard with Trevor James.


Saturday, 14th June 

11am: Ringsend 1904
Venue: Ringsend Library, Fitzwilliam Street, Ringsend, Dublin 4
Take a trip back in time with local historian, Eddie Bohan for a lecture on Ringsend during the days of Ulysses.


12.15pm: Ringsend & Docklands Walking Tour
Meeting Point: Ringsend Library Plaza, Fitzwilliam Street, Ringsend, Dublin 4
Take a stroll with local historian, Eamonn Bohan, as he explores Joyce’s connections to the local area.

2pm: Bloomsday Folk & Ballad Session
Venue: Ringsend Library Plaza, Fitzwilliam Street, Ringsend, Dublin 4
Enjoy a two hour open air music session with live performances from the likes of Mick the Busker, Carmel Weafer and local balladeers, The Pullovers.

Sunday, 15th June


9.30am: Bloomsday Boat Trip
Meeting Point: Poolbeg Yacht & Boat Club, Pigeon House Road, Ringsend, Dublin 4
Hop on board the ‘St. Brigid’ for a one hour trip around Dublin Bay and hear about the history of the Bay with Richie Saunders and Cormac Louth. Bonus live music on offer too! *Advance booking is essential. For bookings, please email ringsenddistricthistorical@gmail.com.

Monday, 16th June


10.45am: Joycean Procession
Meeting Point: Outside St. Patrick’s Church, Thorncastle Street, Ringsend, Dublin 4
Don your Edwardian garb and follow a Horse Drawn Carriage past Strasburg Terrace to the Joyce Bench in Ringsend Park, the location of James Joyce and Nora Barnacle’s very first date.

12pm: Bloomsday Brunch
Venue: Ringsend & Irishtown Community Centre, Thorncastle Street, Ringsend, Dublin 4
Enjoy a chat and refreshments outdoors to a backdrop of jazz from the Emilie Conway Duo, some street theatre and literary readings.

The events are free and open to the public unless otherwise indicated. For more information, please email ringsenddistricthistorical@gmail.com.

Druidy Druids

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Join us at the James Joyce Tower for a wonderful evening of enchanting music. The Druidy Druids perform an array of songs and music referred to in Joyce’s works, including his own “Bid Adieu,” the only piece in Chamber Music for which he wrote both the words and the melody.

Visit their website at https://druidy-druids.mozello.com/

Tickets are €10.

Sweet Lemony Wax: Bloomsday at Sweny’s Pharmacy

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Sweny’s Pharmacy is famously featured in the fifth episode of Ulysses, “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 Wednesday 11 to Monday 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 and open to the public.

Bloomsday in Kells

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The Kells Arts Club is proud to host the Bloomsday Joycean Breakfast on Sunday, June 16th at 10.30am at the Bookmarket Café. Join us for a Joycean breakfast with songs and poetry. Dress up in your finest Edwardian attire!

We will meet at Parnell Garden at 10.30am. Bookmarket at 11am. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/KellsArtsClub/.

Tickets are €13 for members, €17 for non-members.

Bloomsday Breakfast in St. Andrews Resource Centre

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Join us for a special Bloomsday Breakfast at the St. Andrews Resource Centre at Friday the 14th of June at 8am.

We will serve breakfast along with songs and readings.

Feel free to dress up in your best Bloomsday attire!

Bloomsday at Gallagher’s Boxty House

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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

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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!

Newpark Community Orchestra Bloomsday Concert & Live Art

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Frascati Centre in Blackrock is proud to host the Newpark Community Orchestra for a Bloomsday tribute on Sunday, June 16th at 2-4pm in the main mall that will transforms into a mini-amphitheatre with amazing acoustics. An experience not to be missed!

Jack Allen, the talented caricaturist, will be entertaining guests drawing live caricature keepsakes to take home with compliments of Frascati Centre. Each caricature will take approx. 3-5 mins and will be done on a first come first served basis.

Bloomsday themed dress encouraged – prizes for best dressed!

Admission is free, limited seating available. Arrive early, and enjoy!

Bloomsday Readings and Songs

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It’s time to don that boater hat and join us for an afternoon of readings and songs from Ulysses as part of the Bloomsday Festival’s flagship event Readings and Songs at Meeting House Square in Temple Bar, 3pm – 6pm on 16 June 2024.

A long-standing and treasured tradition, this afternoon of songs, readings and performances from Ulysses in the heart of the city is an essential part of the Bloomsday experience.

This year, we have actor and writer Tara Flynn at the helm in Temple Bar, to introduce a fabulously chaotic cast of noted Irish actors, musicians, pundits and everyone in between, who will read extracts from Ulysses. The readings will bring to life Joyce’s immortal words, from his description of Dublin’s “snotgreen sea”, to Molly Bloom’s famous “yes”.

This year’s esteemed readers are acclaimed actors Nora-Jane Noone, Gerry O’Brien,  Eimear Keating, Geraldine McAlinden, Rachel Wren, Margaret McAuliffe, Steve Hartland, and Mary Murray and writers Conner Habib and Dermot Bolger. The event will also feature the celebrated singer-songwriter David Keenan and the comedic brilliance of  Katherine Lynch and Goblins, Goblins, Goblins.

Musicians Bryan Mullen, Brian Gilligan and Camille O’Sullivan will grace the stage, bringing the music that inspired Joyce back to life. The celebrations will culminate with a reading by beloved Irish author Marian Keyes, as she breathes life into Molly Bloom’s legendary “Yes.”

This event is kindly supported by Fáilte Ireland, Dublin UNESCO City of Literature and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

*This is an outdoor event (the Meeting House Square Umbrellas are currently undergoing maintenance) so rain or shine please dress for the weather.

Bloomsday Villages: Ballsbridge

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

3pm: Ulysses Goes Wild in Herbert Park
Meeting Point: Outside Lolly and Cooks Café, Herbert Park, Dublin 4
Get closer to the wild side of Ballsbridge with Eanna Ní Lamhna, star of RTÉ’s The Mooney Show and Virgin Media’s The Six O’Clock Show, for a nature tour inspired by the “marriage of trees” from the Cyclops episode of Ulysses. Tour to last 60 minutes.

4pm: Seven Scenes from Ulysses
Meeting Point: The west/Donnybrook end of the Pond, Herbert Park, Dublin 4
Watch Ulysses come to life on the streets of Ballsbridge in the company of Leopold Bloom, Molly Bloom and Stephen Dedalus!

The events are free and open to the public.

Bloomsday at Buck Mulligan’s

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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!

Balloonatics Bloomsday

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Balloonatics are back once again on June 16th and will be spanning the day with onlocation recreations of Ulysses in Dublin City Centre. This year’s performers are: Mark Wale, Chris Bilton, Paul O’Hanrahan and musician, John Goudie. Join us on Bloomsday throughout the day: we are presenting three theatrical walks (no booking required) and our traditional evening performance in Wynn’s Hotel for which advance booking is advised.

Street Theatre Tours:

8 am Breakfast at the Blooms
Meet at the corner of Eccles and Dorset Street.
Bloom prepares separate breakfasts for himself and his wife and takes a stroll to the nearby butcher. This tour follows the ‘Calypso’ episode of Ulysses, chapter 4.

10.30 am Bloom collects a secret letter
Meet at Westland Row, opposite Pearse Station entrance, under the bridge.
This tour follows Bloom’s journey to church and chemist in the ‘Lotus-Eaters’ episode of Ulysses, chapter 5.

3 p.m. Bloom’s afternoon dodges
Meet on the wide side of Grattan Bridge over the Liffey.
This tour visits sites linked with the ‘Sirens’ and ‘Cyclops’ episodes of Ulysses, chapters 11 and 12, and explores Capel Street’s Joyce connections.

(Street theatre tours are free of charge; cash contribution at end appreciated)

Joyce Performance and Readings:

7.30 pm Humid Nightblue Fruit
Wynn’s Hotel, Lower Abbey Street

Barcaroles and Barreltones: Men in the Ormond – A dramatised reading adapted from the ‘Sirens’ episode from Ulysses by Paul O’Hanrahan, performing with Mark Wale, Chris Bilton and musician John Goudie. End your Bloomsday evening at this convivial Joyce gathering in this historic hotel. The performance will be followed by audience readings, all welcome to participate.

Tickets €13 plus booking fee
(€15 on door, if not sold out)

Book here

For more information contact:
Facebook: Paul O’Hanrahan, Balloonatics Theatre Company
www.balloonatics.tumblr.com

Boulevard Bloom

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“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!

The Heart of the Hibernian Metropolis: Bloomsday at the GPO

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Join us at the GPO Museum from 12pm on Saturday, June 15th for an afternoon of talks and music for the Bloomsday Festival. Located in ‘the Heart of the Hibernian Metropolis,’ as Joyce might say, the General Post Office has stood in the middle of Dublin’s busiest street since 1818. An iconic building in Dublin’s urban landscape, the GPO is also home to the GPO Museum, where we are dedicated to discussing Ireland’s 20th history with particular focus on Ireland’s fight for independence.

This Bloomsday weekend the GPO will hold a series of talks relating to James Joyce, rebellion and mythology. This includes a special talk at 12pm by renowned Joyce expert Luke Gibbons, author of James Joyce and the Irish Revolution (2023). Gibbons has taught as a Professor of Irish Studies in Maynooth University and the University of Notre Dame, and has published widely on Irish culture and criticism. These talks will focus on a variety of topics, exploring both Joyce’s relationship with Ireland’s revolutionary period and its cultural revival, and the use of Irish mythology during Ireland’s cultural revival and the fight for independence alongside Joyce’s use of other mythologies in his Dublin epic Ulysses.

We will also have music from harpist Rachel Duffy between the talks celebrating James Joyce’s great love of music. Rachel Duffy is from Bray in Co. Wicklow, has performed at festivals around the world and plays regularly with groups including Na Cauci, Triad Trio and the National Folk Orchestra. She enjoys teaching the harp in Wicklow and Dublin and working with harp ensembles at Bray CCE and TU Dublin.

Admission to the Bloomsday talks and Music is free and a ticket is not required, though they are available on the website. Priority seating will be given to café customers. If you have any queries, please get in touch with us at: +353 01 872 1916 or email us at: info@gpowitnesshistory.ie.

Please note that admission to the Bloomsday Talks and Music event does not include entry to the museum. Tickets are non-transferable to another person, tour or date.

Breathe and Bloom

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Happenings Ireland in partnership with the James Joyce Centre is proud to present Breathe and Bloom, a truly unique Bloomsday celebration of health, wellness, and yoga (yes, really!) on Sunday, June 16th at 11am-1:30pm in Brighton Square.

James Joyce was born in 1882 at 41 Brighton Square. What better way to celebrate Bloomsday than by gathering where it all began! Breathe and Bloom is a unique blend of traditional Bloomsday celebrations and wellness exercises.

Ulysses is not often thought about in terms of health and fitness but the novel provides a glimpse into the burgeoning wellness movement that would develop extensively in the 20th century. Leopold Bloom is conscious of his body and the need to maintain it through exercise and diet, even if he is not so vigilant in doing so! “Got up wrong side of the bed,” he thinks to himself. “Must begin again those Sandow’s exercises.” His wife, Molly, also has this on her mind: “I must do a few breathing exercises[.] I wonder is that antifat any good might overdo it.” The event will show this often-overlooked facet of Joyce’s work by combining a class by Yoga in the Park with a talk about health and fitness in Joyce’s work as well as old-fashioned readings and songs!

The event will start with Yoga in the Park’s regularly-scheduled class with Jo Collins from 11am to 12pm. It will then be followed by a half-hour talk about fitness, wellness and Joyce by Dr. Conor Heffernan, Lecturer in Sport Sociology at Ulster University. This talk will feature demonstrations of gentle stretching, dumbbell raising and deep breathing by Jo Collins. Audience participation is encouraged but not mandatory. After the talk, the park will host music and readings of Ulysses. The audience is welcome to bring food and drink to make a nice picnic!

Schedule:
11-12: Happenings Yoga’s Yoga in the Park class with Jo Collins.
12-12:30: Talk and yoga demonstration by Dr. Conor Heffernan and Jo Collins about fitness, mindfullness, and yoga in Ulysses.
12:30-1:30: Music and readings.

The Yoga in the Park class is €10. Dr. Heffernan’s talk and the music and readings are free to the public. More information about the event can be found here.

Many thanks to the residents of Brighton Square for hosting the event.

Come enjoy an afternoon of yoga, mindfulness and fun in what is a Bloomsday Festival first!

Ancora! Choral Concert

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Join us for our musical odyssey ‘Ancora!’ in the Church of the Three Patrons in Rathgar (where Leopold Bloom and Stephen Dedalus of Ulysses were baptised) on Thursday, the 13th of June at 7:30pm.

We will treat you to a rendition of some of Joyce’s favourite songs and arias. Alongside these you will enjoy well-loved Italian choruses performed by Il Coro Italiano di Dublino.

Mezzo-Soprano: Ami Hewitt
Tenor: James McCreanor
Accompanist: Fintan Farrelly
Musical Director: Frank C. O’Donnell

If you feel the pangs of hunger after our concert, step into the church hall for a little wine, a bite to eat, and a sociable chat before we bid you “adieu, adieu, adieu”!

Tickets are €20 and are sold at the door.

Beautiful Joycean Concert in Celebration of Bloomsday

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Step back through time to the elegance of the Joycean period in the quiet beauty of The Abbey Presbyterian Church (Findlater’s) on the historic Parnell Square.
Featured Joycean songs, music, poetry & ethereal dance will enchant you.
An evening to be remembered.
Harpist, Chrisitna Tourin
Baritone & Actor, James Barry
Classical Dancer, Eileene McLoughlin
Guest Dancer, Roxanne Leonard
Tickets are €10. Purchased at the entrance.

Bella Musica: Songs of Joyce

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Bella Musica presents a special Bloomsday recital with songs mentioned by Joyce as well as some light excerpts from Ulysses. The programme will include popular hits of the time such as “The Low Back’d Car,” “Love’s Old Sweet Song,” “The Green Isle of Erin,” “She Is Far From The Land,” “I Dreamt I Dwelt In Marble Halls,” and more.  A particularly special treat will be a charming song Joyce wrote the lyrics to called “Out by Donnycarney.”

The concert features Aimee Banks (soprano), John Rownan (tenor), and Didzis Kalniņš (piano). For any questions about the recital, please email hello@bellamusica.ie or call at 085 130 3259.

About the artists:

Aimee Banks is a soprano from Galway with a string of vocal awards to her name such as the winner of the Junior Class of the Charles Wood International Song competition 2023, The Irene Sandford Award and Bursary 2022, The Birr Lions Club Bursary at Birr Festival of Music 2022, The Vladimir Piontkovsky Memorial Scholarship At Saluzzo Opera Academy 2022. She was a multi-award winner at Newpark Festival of Music 2023 & Dublin Feis Ceoil 2023, including the Plunkett Greene Cup for interpretation and the German Government Cup for Bach Aria amongst others. Aimee has performed in such venues as Carnegie Hall New York USA, The National Concert Hall, Christchurch Cathedral and The National Gallery of Ireland. She has also had the honour of performing at the Irish Government’s launch of the 1916 Commemorations in Dublin’s Convention Centre, National Famine Commemoration in 2020 and has also performed at Áras an Uachtaráin for the President of Ireland Micheal D. Higgins.

John Rownan is a tenor from Dublin but trained in classical singing in Bucharest, Romania, where he performed in two recitals for the Irish Embassy including a noteworthy Bloomsday Recital he prepared in 2017.  John took further training in Greece and worked with the Hellenic Opera Corporation and Greek Opera Festival, where he performed in roles such as Pinkerton in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, Rodolfo in Puccini’s La Boheme, and Don Basilio in Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro, among others. John has since performed in roles and given recitals across Europe, including for several opera productions by Opera Classica Europa in Germany and The Netherlands. In 2023, John founded Bella Musica Recitals to present a variety of popular music events to excite and delight.

Didzis Kalniņš is an award-winning pianist originally from Latvia but who moved to Dublin in 2016 where he has since completed a Doctorate in Music at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. He now works as a soloist, chamber musician, and teacher. He regularly performs at renowned venues such as the National Concert Hall, Christ Church Cathedral Dublin, The National Gallery, and The Mansion House amongst others. Didzis has also given recitals for audiences internationally in countries such as Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Latvia, Estonia and Brazil.

Tickets are €24 general, €18 concession. Doors open at 5pm for a 5:15pm start.

Bloomsday at MoLI – Museum of Literature Ireland

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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 1958, Heroic 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.

Poems Ago

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The James Joyce Centre is proud to present a lunchtime performance by Poems Ago. Poems Ago, the Irish-Dutch musical duo Juliana Hahn and Remco Jacobs, compose and perform music to Irish poetry and play original songs. In this concert, they will perform guitar and violin music set to James Joyce’s Chamber Music (1906) as well as poetry by W.B. Yeats, Oscar Wilde, and contemporary Irish poets. The concert conincides with Yeats’ birthday.

More information about Poems Ago can be found on their website https://www.poemsago.com/.

Tickets are €12.

Bloomsday at Davy Byrnes

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“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

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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.

Joyce’s Dubliners Interpreted in Song by Hibsen

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The James Joyce Centre is delighted to invite you to a unique musical interpretation of James Joyce’s Dubliners. Irish folk ensemble Hibsen will pay homage to Joyce with performances of their critically acclaimed album “The Stern Task of Living.” The album is a collection of 15 songs, one for each short story in Dubliners. Through their original music and lyrics, Hibsen brings the stories to life.

For lovers of Joyce, these concerts provide a unique perspective on Dubliners. For those not familiar with the stories, the performances provide an ideal opportunity to get to know them in an intimate surrounding.

“The arrangements . . . and lyrics come from the pen of people who have spent a lot of time in Joyce’s world.” John Meagher, Irish Independent

“One might almost sense the spirit of Joyce himself strolling through these tracks. Better still, you don’t have to know the stories to savour this as a musical experience in its own right.” Jackie Hayden, Hot Press Magazine

Hibsen are a contemporary folk music ensemble formed by Irish artists Jim Murphy and Gráinne Hunt. They released their debut album “The Stern Task of Living” on 26 May 2023. The album was inspired by the book of short stories Dubliners by James Joyce and it comprises 15 songs, one for each short story. It was launched at Bloomsday Festival 2023 and it has received critical acclaim. Some of the songs from the album received extensive national and regional radio play with one of the songs (Eveline) reaching number 2 on the RTE Radio 1 Airplay Chart. “The Stern Task of Living” was also selected as a featured album on RTE Lyric FM and on BBC Radio Ulster.

Tickets are €20.

Strings in the Earth and Air: The Musical World of James Joyce

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in association with the
James Joyce Centre
brings you

‘Strings in the earth and air…’

 

The Musical World of James Joyce

with

Nicole Rourke (actor-writer)
&
Benjamin Dwyer (guitarist-composer)

Bloomsday 16 June 2024, 8.00pm

Join us in a celebration of Joyce’s fascination with music. With excerpts from the early poetry collection, Chamber Music, through the melancholic stories of Dubliners, to the ornate worlds of Ulysses and Finnegans Wake, Rourke & Dwyer offer a captivating programme of Joyce’s musical obsessions.

The show includes excerpts of ‘raw sensuality’ from Nuala O’Connor’s celebrated book Nora: A Love Story of Nora Barnacle and James Joyce; and it features the premiere of a new text by Nicole Rourke exploring the sensual worlds of Nora, Molly and Joyce.

Following the show, Director of the James Joyce Centre, Darina Gallagher, will host a Q&A with Nicole and Benjamin on the role of music in Joyce’s life and writing, and their creation of the programme. Wine will be served.

Tickets are €20.

Stories and Songs Of Dublin’s Writers: Wilde, Behan, O’Casey, Joyce

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“I took the sounds of my city Dublin, its bar talk, its street noise and turned it into language.” James Joyce

Stories and Songs Of Dublin’s Writers: Wilde, Behan, O Casey, Joyce by Gary Brown is a one hour show of laughs, songs, culture and craic. Dublin is famous for its writers and its contribution to global literature. The show presents the history of some of its writers, quotes and songs from them. It deals with their lives in Dublin and abroad. Hear about the lives and work of Brendan Behan, James Joyce, Sean O’Casey, Oscar Wilde and many others. The show stars comedian and actor Gary Cooke.

Showtimes are June 12th, 13th, and 14th at 3-4pm.* Tickets are €20.

*The show runs June, July and August.

 

Ulysses aWake

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‘All the Ghosts of Ulysses’ is the original music at the heart of this play. Joyce’s characters are set free at the Tower to share their stories in the guise of the Idrone Players’ 18 actors, singers, dancers, and live musicians.

Leopold Bloom’s marriage to Molly is tragically threatened but Ulysses aWake’s opening song, ‘Send out your light and your truth’ (Cuir thuat amach do sholas is do fhírinne), signals that Bloom will be the author of his story. This is his day.

Tickets are free but booking is essential. There will be both seating and standing places available.

Druidy Druids

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Join us at the James Joyce Tower for a wonderful evening of enchanting music. The Druidy Druids perform an array of songs and music referred to in Joyce’s works, including his own “Bid Adieu,” the only piece in Chamber Music for which he wrote both the words and the melody. Visit their website at https://druidy-druids.mozello.com/.

Tickets are €5. The Druidy Druids will repeat their performance free of charge on June 16th at 12:30pm.

Happy Birthday John McCormack!

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Singer Noel O’Grady performs his “Ode to James Joyce: Portrait of a Tenor” in the Round Room of the Joyce Tower at 2pm. Noel will also celebrate John McCormack’s birthday. Noel is five time winner of Oireachtas na Gaeilge for traditional singing and has been been described as the “voice of James Joyce.”

Tickets are €5.

Molly’s Soliloquy Performed by Cáitriona Ní Threasaigh

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Reclining on a bed in the round room, Cáitriona Ní Threasaigh transports us to number seven Eccles Street as Molly Bloom reviews her day and, indeed, her life in this soliloquy from the final episode of Ulysses.

Tickets are €5.

Caitríona Ní Threasaigh is an actor who has also trained in clown. She performed Molly Bloom’s soliloquy at Áras an Uachtarán for the Irish president, Michael D. Higgins and his guests on Bloomsday (2013) and has performed it in the James Joyce Tower in Sandycove for Bloomsday ever since. Other roles include Mamó in Saol Ella, TG4 (2023), Mrs. Corcoran in The Dry, RTE (2023) Chantelle, in the film Deeper Thing (Nigeria 2018), Prospero in Shakespeare’s The Tempest (2015 Berlin, Germany) and Móna, Ros na Rún, Tg4 (2014).

Bloomsday Breakfast at Belvedere College

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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

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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!

Rathgar Bloomsday Festival

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Dress up and come celebrate all things Joyce at Rathgar Village Square, sponsored by Dublin City Council and Rathgar Business Association. They will be readings of Ulysses, jazz from Razzmajazz, food stalls, and face painting and Alpacas for the kids. The event is free of charge and will be outdoors, weather permitting.

A Musical Celebration of Joyce’s Ulysses

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The works of James Joyce, who was an accomplished musician himself, are musical landscapes, laden with references to songs and operatic works of the day. The National Concert Hall is proud to present its Bloomsday concert on Friday, June 14th at 1pm in the John Field Room.

Accompanied by the outstanding pianist, David Wray, Dublin-Born soprano Sandra Oman, in the role of Molly Bloom, will perform such vocal delights as “Love’s Old Sweet Song,” “The Last Rose of Summer,” “I Dreamt I Dwelt in Marble Halls,” “The Holy City,” “Sweet Rosie O’Grady,” “Oft in the Stilly Night,” “Silent, O Moyle,” “Habanera (Carmen),” and “The Lass of Aughrim.” Acclaimed actress and television icon Mary McEvoy (Biddy, Glenroe) plays the role of Nora Barnacle, Joyce’s wife, reading extracts from Ulysses and giving the audience a flavour of Dublin in 1904. Molly and Nora, the great loves of Joyce’s life (fictitious and real), converse and reminisce. A concert for lovers of Bloomsday, Joyce or simply beautiful songs of yesteryear!

The concert is presented by Sheldon Nulty Music.

Tickets are €22 general, €20 concession.

Joseph Chester’s Fragments of Lucia

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“People talk of my influence on my daughter, but what about her influence on me?”
– James Joyce, 1934

Fragments of Lucia is a solo guitar performance by Joseph Chester of his highly-acclaimed album LUCIA, a suite of 10 pieces inspired by fragments of the life of Lucia Joyce, James Joyce’s daughter.

Joseph Chester is a multi award-nominated songwriter, composer and musician whose albums have featured in the books 101 Irish Albums You Must Hear Before You Die by Tony Clayton-Lea, Buried Treasure by Dan Hegarty and in The Sunday Times list of the best Irish albums of all time.

Lucia Joyce spent 47 years in institutions as a result of mental illness, including long periods in isolation. She died in the notoriously cruel St. Andrew’s asylum, Northampton at the age of 75. And yet, in her youth she had shown enormous potential as a dancer and illustrator. Over the course of two years, Chester took ten key moments from the life of Lucia Joyce. Ten facts of her existence and composed a piece of music for each, to pay tribute to her, to bear witness to her and in some fantastical, imaginary way, let her speak. The Paris Times wrote that “James Joyce may yet be known as his daughter’s father.” Some say she was a muse for Finnegans Wake. Her father described her as, “A fantastic being with a mind as clear and unsparing as the lightning.” However, after undergoing tests, she was diagnosed with schizophrenia and was committed in 1936. She would never know freedom again.

Two performances at 4pm and 8pm. Performance time is approximately 70 minutes.

Tickets are €17 general, €15 concession.

James Joyce & Antonio Smareglia, His Composer Friend

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“Smareglia (who lives beside me) is held by many to be the most original of the living Italian musicians.” – James Joyce, 1911

Join us at the James Joyce Centre for a special Bloomsday Festival concert event that illustrates the connection between James Joyce, Antonio Smareglia, Trieste, and Pula. The concert features performances of music excerpts from operas by Smareglia, the Italian-Croatian composer who was a friend and neighbour of Joyce while they both lived in Trieste.

Maltese pianist Charlene Farrugia-Božac and Croatian soprano Sofija Cingula will bring to life some of the music from operas that Joyce would have heard and admired at the time, from Smareglia’s student work Caccia lontana and Nozze Istriane (which Joyce heard in Trieste in 1908) to fragments from Oceana, Smareglia’s most novel work of music theatre known as teatro di poesia.

The event will include presentations by Croatian scholar Dr. Vito Paoletić (University of Pula) about Joyce’s time in Pula, as well as the city’s links to and celebrations of Bloomsday. Introduction about the musician Antonio Smareglia and his connection to James Joyce will be given by Dr. Juliana Licinic van Walstijn (Queen’s University Belfast), President of the Association Smaregliana.

The concert will be followed by a wine reception provided generously by the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in Dublin.

The concert is presented by Association Smaregliana in cooperation with the University of Pula and the James Joyce Centre and sponsored by the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in Dublin.

Tickets are €15.

A Joycean Evening at Dalkey Castle

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Celebrate the more light hearted elements of Joyce’s works by watching a team of professional actors perform enlightening and entertaining extracts from Ulysses, Dubliners and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man at Dalkey Castle.

Sing along with professional singers such as Simon Morgan and Donna Malone, accompanied by Josh Johnston, in songs that James Joyce sang or which feature in his works.

Runs for approximately 2.5 hours. Refreshments will be served. Tickets are €22.95.

The event is supported by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

Bloomsday at Sweny’s Pharmacy

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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.