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Category: Tour

Mountjoy Square and the Childhood Imagination of James Joyce

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This special Bloomsday walking tour on Monday, June 16th at 11am presented by the Five Lamps Arts Festival will take you around the Mountjoy Square area, exploring the childhood neighbourhood of James Joyce and how his early imagination and education were shaped here.

We will make stops at three different houses that Joyce lived in: two on North Circular Road, just off the Square, and another on Fitzgibbon Street. You will also visit the evocative Araby House on North Richmond Street, the setting for his famous romantic short story from his collection Dubliners. Joyce briefly attended the Christian Brothers school next door.

Our journey continues to the former Sheehy house at No. 4 Belvedere Place, just off the Square. This was the home of Irish MP David Sheehy, whose daughter Mary was very close to the young Joyce. Imagine Joyce coming here after school from nearby Belvedere College for cultural soirees with the Sheehy family, including music recitals. Nearby, we will also see a house where Joyce’s sisters lived.

The tour will also discuss Ulysses and the appearance of this area in Joyce’s great novel. This includes the famous walk across Mountjoy Square by Father John Conmee, who departs the Jesuit residence on Gardiner Street (beside the wonderful church) and is heading towards the North Strand to board the Howth tram. We will retrace Father Conmee’s steps for at least some of the journey, as we explore the world of Joyce, North Dublin, history, and literature.

This will be an enjoyable and entertaining hour and a half, filled with many fascinating stories and readings throughout. Join us to walk in the footsteps of a literary giant this Bloomsday!

Eamon Delaney is an author, historian and tour guide. Check this link to his history project: The Lion and the Shamrock – The legacy of history, families and the community https://thelionandtheshamrock.com/

Meeting point: Catholic Church of Saint Francis Xavier, Gardiner Street Upper, Dublin 1, DUBLIN

Tickets are €15.

Dublin’s Deep Sea Port Walking Tour

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The Five Lamps Arts Festival presents Dublin’s Deep Sea Port Walking Tour on Saturday, June 14th at 11am.

The walking tour is a fascinating introduction to Dublin Port’s rich maritime history and its links to the surrounding area.

Along the way, we learn about the early days of Dublin Port, including its extension (the Alexandra Basin) in April 1885, right through to the modern day economic importance of Dublin Port.

The tour starts at the Luas stop The Point at the Three Arena, continuing on to the No.292 Crane on East Wall Road, and the Port Company’s recently developed Maritime Gardens. From here, we travel towards Merchants Road houses and St Joseph’s School, both notable for their links to the 1913 Lockout and the Trade Union Movement in the Docklands. Other important sites along the way are Abercorn Road, the home of playwright Sean O Casey and other illustrious residents, New Wapping Street, Mayor Street, and 1916 veteran Michael O’Doherty’s house.

We also cover some of the more colourful aspects of life on the Docklands, including a famous murder case which inspired the ‘knife conversation’ in the Eumaeus chapter of James Joyce’s novel Ulysses. We will also pass Seabank House/Wharf Tavern, a popular haunt for dockers and numerous other eccentric characters, before finally making our way back to the Three Arena where our journey began.

*Public transport links include the Luas Red Line to “The Point” at the Three Arena, the N4 bus route from the Northside of the city, and the G1 and G2 bus routes to the West of the city.

There are two slots for this walking tour: Saturday, June 14th at 11am-1pm and Saturday, June 28th at 10am-12pm.

Tickets are €12.

The Ulysses Guide Walking Tour with Robert Nicholson

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New Island Books is proud to present The Ulysses Guide Walking Tour, a walking tour to mark the new and updated edition of The Ulysses Guide: Tours Through Joyce’s Dublin by Robert Nicholson on Saturday, June 7th at 3pm starting at Hodges Figgis.

Join author and Joycean Robert Nicholson as he takes you on a walking tour around James Joyce’s Dublin based on the new edition of his best selling The Ulysses Guide: Tours Through Joyce’s Dublin. More than just a walking guide, The Ulysses Guide provides a guide to Ulysses by following its eighteen episodes on their original locations, and recreating the Dublin of 1904 against the background of today’s streetscape. First published in 1988 and updated here for the streetscape in 2025, it is a much-loved companion to Joyce’s masterpiece and a classic of Irish literary criticism.

The Ulysses Guide explains the action of the book in terms of its settings and illuminates some of the more challenging sections of Joyce’s work. This latest edition has been updated to incorporate new additions to the landscape, such as the James Joyce Bridge and the Museum of Literature Ireland, and changes to Joycean landmarks like the Ormond Hotel, Sweny’s Pharmacy and Barney Kiernan’s pub. New research has thrown fresh light on some puzzling moments in Ulysses and challenged traditional views on Mr. Deasy’s school, Bella Cohen’s reputation and Stephen’s morning whereabouts.

Robert Nicholson was born in Dublin. He was the curator of the James Joyce Tower and Museum in Sandycove and of the Dublin Writers Museum. He is a member of the James Joyce Institute of Ireland and of the Board of Directors of The James Joyce Centre.

New Island Books is Ireland’s premier independent publisher of literary fiction and Irish-interest non-fiction. Since its establishment in 1992, it been a constant of the Irish literary landscape, championing the work of new writers while providing a stable home for more established authors. Recent literary achievements include Nuala O’Connor’s breakout novel Nora (One Dublin One Book 2022 and shortlisted for An Post Irish Book Award and Dalkey Novel of the Year Award), Three Castles Burning: A History of Dublin in Twelve Streets by Donal Fallon (voted Easons Favourite Book of the Year 2022), Words to Shape My Name by Laura McKenna (shortlisted for KerryGroup Irish Novel of the Year), The Presidents’ Letters by Flor MacCarthy and A Quiet Tide by Marianne Lee (shortlisted for Kate O’Brien Award).

The tour starts from Hodges Figgis on Dawson Street. The duration is approximately 1 hour.

The event is free but booking is essential.

A Cantonese Cultural Celebration 粵語特別活動

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Step into Ireland’s literary heritage, through the eyes of the Cantonese community! Every year on June 16th, Dublin transforms into the world of Leopold Bloom, the protagonist of this literary masterpiece.

Cantonese in Ireland is proud to celebrate Bloomsday through a vibrant Cantonese cultural lens! Immerse yourself in a day of film, storytelling, guided journeys, and hands-on creativity, all conducted in Cantonese, on Saturday, June 14th at 10am-4pm. Experience Joyce like never before!

🎬 Session 1: Movie Morning + Literary Lunch

Time: 10am-2pm
Fee: €5 per person (8 free places, 12 paid places on a first-come, first-served bases; lunch included)
Venue: TCD Arts Block, Room 5039 & The Duke Pub

Programme Highlights:

🎥 10am-12pm: Screening of selected clips from Ulysses (1967, Dir. Joseph Strick)
🗣 Talk: “Joyce and Ulysses, A Cantonese Perspective”
🏆 Awards Ceremony: Announcement of Writing & Drawing Competition winners ✍🎨
🍽 12.30-2pm: Literary Lunch at The Duke Pub
Enjoy lunch at a historic pub once frequented by Joyce, James Stephens, and other literary giants.
Capacity: 20 guests
(8 free community places +12 paid places, first-come, first-served)

🚶‍♀ Session 2: Cantonese Walking Tour + Photo Competition

Time: 2-4pm
Admission: Free
Meeting Point: The Duke Pub

Join a guided Bloomsday walking tour in Cantonese led by Lisa Tsang, a certified local guide.

Explore key Ulysses landmarks across Dublin, discover James Joyce Trail plaques, and dive into literary history, all while taking part in our Bloomsday Photo Competition!

📸 Photo Competition Details

Who can enter?
Anyone living in Ireland who attends the walking tour prizes:

🥇 1st Prize – €50
🥈 2nd Prize – €30
🥉 3rd Prize – €20

Celebrate literature, culture, and Cantonese identity in Dublin’s most iconic setting. Let’s capture every beautiful moment, together!

👉 Spaces are limited, register now!

Lisa Tsang is a Dublin-based tour guide and a beauty therapist. Born in Ireland, she completed the National Tour Guiding course in 2025. Lisa travels across Ireland for work and is well known in the Asian restaurant scene. She also offers professional nail and beauty services, combining cultural insight with creativity and care.

Bloomsday 2025 粵語特別活動

齊齊走入愛爾蘭文學世界，從粵語社群角度行出屬於我哋嘅布盧姆之路！

你聽過 James Joyce 嘅《尤利西斯》（Ulysses）未？

每年 6 月 16 日，都柏林都會搖身一變，成為小說主角 Leopold Bloom 嘅世界，一齊慶祝呢部文學鉅作。

今年，我哋將以嶄新角度，透過粵語文化體驗，參與呢個 Bloomsday 慶典！

電影、導賞、創作同文化交流，全部以粵語進行（需要時設英語協助），畀你從未有過嘅方式認識 Joyce！

活動詳情

日期：2025年6月14日（星期六）

時間：10:00 – 16:00（分兩節進行，可自由選擇參加其中一節或全日）

地點：TCD & The Duke Pub（詳情如下）

語言：粵語（設有英語協助）

第一節：電影早晨 + 文學午餐

時間：10:00 – 14:00

收費：每位 €5　（8個免費名額，12個收費名額）（包午餐）

地點：TCD Arts Block, Room 5039

活動重點：

🎥 10:00 – 12:00 放映電影片段：《Ulysses》1967年經典版本（導演：Joseph Strick）

🗣 主題分享：從粵語視角睇 Joyce 與《尤利西斯》

🏆 公布寫作及繪畫比賽得獎者 ✍️🎨

🍽 12:30 – 14:00 文學午餐 @ The Duke Pub

呢間歷史悠久嘅酒吧曾經有 Joyce、James Stephens 等文壇巨匠出入，今次我哋亦會喺度共晉午餐，細味文學氣息。

名額：只限 20 位（12 位付費名額+8 位免費名額）

第二節：粵語導賞團 + 攝影比賽

時間：14:00 – 16:00

收費：免費參加！

集合地點：The Duke Pub

集合時間：14:00

🚶‍♀ 由本地註冊導遊 Lisa Tsang 以粵語帶隊，走訪 Joyce 筆下地標與 James Joyce Trail 路線，一路了解小說場景與歷史背景。沿途仲可以參加「Bloomsday 攝影比賽」，影低每個美好瞬間，贏取現金獎！

攝影比賽詳情：

參賽資格：只限愛爾蘭居民，並需當日親身參與導賞團

獎項：

🥇 冠軍：€50

🥈 亞軍：€30

🥉 季軍：€20

一場屬於粵語社群嘅 Bloomsday 文化旅程，誠邀你一齊參與！

穿越文學與歷史，影低都柏林每一個動人時刻！

👉 名額有限，立即報名！

導遊簡介：Lisa Tsang

Lisa Tsang 係住喺都柏林嘅導遊，同時都係一位美容師。佢喺愛爾蘭出世，2025 年完成咗國家認可嘅導遊課程。Lisa平時成日喺愛爾蘭唔同地方走動工作，除咗做導遊，佢仲有提供專業美甲同美容服務，將文化觸覺、創意同細心融合喺工作入面。

James Joyce’s Ulysses Walking Tours

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Join tour guide John O’Connell to learn more about Ulysses and walk in the footsteps of Leopold Bloom. These are a series of walking tours of Dublin city guided by a Joyce expert with lots of discussion about Ulysses and people’s opinions and relationship to the novel.

June 10 at 11am: A Morning Walk with Mr Bloom starts at Samuel Beckett Bridge and ends on Clare Street.

June 11 at 1pm: Lunchtime for Mr Bloom starts at The Spire and finishes at The National Museum.

June 12 at 2pm: Wandering Rocks: The Directors Cut starts at Grattan Bridge and ends on Grafton Street.

June 17 at 2pm: Singing and Drinking in the Afternoon starts at Temple Bar Square and ends on Little Britain Street.

June 18 at 1pm: A Daytime Tour of Nighttown starts at The Spire and ends at the Custom House.

Tickets are €10. Each tour lasts approximately 90 minutes.

Between Two Roaring Worlds: A Wandering Rocks Journey

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The James Joyce Institute of Ireland is proud to lead its annual pre-Bloomsday walk on Sunday, June 8th at 2pm. This year’s walk, “Between Two Roaring Words: A Wandering Rocks Journey,” will start at the upper Castleyard Gate of Dublin Castle beside City Hall. The walk follows various sections of the Wandering Rocks episode of Ulysses, involving on-location readings and dramatisations It will proceed down Parliament Street to Essex Street, and via Crampton’s Court and Sycamore Street to Temple Bar and Merchant’s Arch, finishing up on the north quays near the site of the Ormond Hotel.

The walk will be conducted by Robert Nicholson, author of The Ulysses Guide: Tours Through Joyce’s Dublin and Secretary of The James Joyce Centre Board of Directors. Nicholson will be accompanied by members of the James Joyce Institute of Ireland. Bring a copy of Ulysses if you have one.

The tour is approximately two hours long and open to the public. No booking required.

Image: Suzanne Freeman, ‘Wandering Rocks,’ from Ulysses: An Odyssey

Jewish Dublin in the Time of Ulysses

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The Irish Jewish Museum is proud to present a tour on Sunday, June 15th at 1pm about the Jewish history of Dublin during James Joyce’s time. Visit us in the heart of what was once the Jewish quarter of Portobello. Here you will find memorabilia from Jewish life in Ireland in the early 1900’s. Joyce set Ulysses in 1904, an important year for the burgeoning Jewish community, and he placed Leopold Bloom as the novel’s central character. How did Bloom fit into this community? How did Joyce experience it?

Tickets are €10. For reservations, please email info@jewishmuseum.ie. Tickets will also be sold at the door.

Bloomsday Treasure Hunt: Echoes of Ulysses

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Follow Leopold Bloom’s footsteps in an interactive treasure hunt. Move through the city. Solve puzzles. Unlock stories.

It’s free. It’s smart. It speaks your language—English, French, or German.

This is Joyce’s Dublin, reimagined through AI and storytelling. Think puzzles, places, and characters brought to life. Bring your friends, or come solo. Great for curious minds, young readers, and anyone who wants to see Joyce’s world with fresh eyes.

Earn badges. Collect surprises.

Game Information

  • Meet in front of 7 Eccles Street on Sunday, June 15th at 2pm.
  • Start the hunt by typing “START”.
  • Go to the marked spot. Once there, send “ARRIVED”. You will then receive your puzzle.
  • To solve it, look around you or listen to the audio file.
  • The answer will lead you to your next location.

Need help? Just type “HINT”.

Please Note: Make sure to bring your headphones, have mobile data available, and ensure your phone is fully charged to enjoy the immersive experience.

Classic lit meets modern tech. Dublin becomes the page. You become the reader.

The event is free but booking is essential.

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! We will be open to the public for free on Monday, June 16th from 9:30am to 6pm.

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 open our doors to the public for free. 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!

Listen to the beautiful music of Classical Joyce at 10am and a trepidatious performance by the Fingal Mummers at 2pm. The Bloomsday Film Exhibition by the Bloomsday Film Festival will be playing in the Volta Room throughout the day starting at 10am.

Enjoy the acclaimed performance of Declan Gorman’s The Dubliners Dilemma at 4pm and listen in on a live recording of the Blooms & Barnacles Podcast: Could an AI Write Ulysses? at 6.30pm. Please note that these two events are ticketed.

Seedcake will be provided by the Parnell Street Bakery for visitors to enjoy. An appearance by “Alice,” a vintage car built in 1904, will grace North Great George’s Street.

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 all over the world for an unparalleled cultural celebration.

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

We hope to see you there!

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.

Dalkey Schoolroom Scene & Guided Walk

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Dalkey Joycean Guided Walk & Schoolroom Scene – Bloomsday, 16th June at 15:30

Celebrate Bloomsday with a unique experience at Dalkey Castle! Explore Joyce’s fascinating connections to Dalkey with an expert guide, and step onto the location where Joyce once taught and the scene is set. Feel the magic of literature come alive where “the sun flung spangles, dancing coins.” Enjoy a live performance of the schoolroom scene from the Nestor episode of Ulysses, featuring Stephen Dedalus and the stern Mr Deasy at Dalkey Castle before leaving on your odyssey.

There are other surprising Dalkey connections with Joyce which will be uncovered in the guided joycean walk led by Joyce expert Joe Dunne immediately after the performance.

The whole event runs for around two hours.

Tickets are €28.95.

Book online early—spaces are limited and demand is high for this unforgettable Joycean event.

Drumcondra Joycean Jaunt

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Enjoy our delightful jaunt through the wonderful gem that is Drumcondra as we celebrate all things Joycean.

In addition to the “best English”, attendees at this year’s Drumcondra Joycean Jaunt will enjoy readings, poetry, songs and stories associated with James Augustine Aloysius Joyce. Carried along in a stream of characters, places and connections with the man and his works, jollification will again be the order of the day as we trip our way from Lower to Upper Drumcondra. Unlike Paddy Dignam, there’ll be no need for us to cross the Royal Canal as we’ll gather at 11:30 AM beside Lock 2 on its northern side under the watchful gaze of Brendan Behan. From Binns Bridge we’ll head towards St Patrick’s Campus DCU stopping and enjoying performances at amongst other places, Drumcondra Library. Whilst the event is free, please Register as this will help us with our preparations and with providing you with any relevant updates.

“It is called a tundish in Lower Drumcondra, said Stephen laughing, where they speak the best English.”

– A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

The event is free but booking is essential.

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: Sandymount

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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 Monday, 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 sold at the door.

12.30pm: Seven Scenes from Ulysses
Meeting Point: Sandymount Green, Sandymount, Dublin 4
Enjoy a stroll around Sandymount as you watch pivotal scenes from Ulysses come alive in the company of Leopold Bloom and other characters from the book.

The event is free and open to the public unless otherwise indicated. For more information, please email info@sandymountcommunitycentre.ie.

Bloomsday at Glasnevin Cemetery: Poor Dignam!

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Glasnevin Cemetery has been celebrating Bloomsday since 2010 and it is now a firm favourite for Bloomsday pilgrims. On June 16th 1904, Glasnevin was the venue for the funeral of the fictional Paddy Dignam, attended by Joyce’s protagonist Leopold Bloom in Ulysses. This year to celebrate this historic date, Experience Glasnevin will host a performance of the ‘Hades’ episode of Ulysses performed by the Joycestagers and a Joycean tour of the cemetery itself. Explore the ‘underworld’ of Ulysses in one of the most popular Bloomsday events!

11am: Reenactment of the funeral procession of Paddy Dignam from the ‘Hades’ episode. Free to attend. No ticket is necessary.

12pm: A Joycean Tour of the heart of the Hibernian necropolis, Glasnevin Cemetery, which has many significant links to Joyce’s life and writing. Tickets are required: €15 general, €13 concession.

Photo: Alan Betson, The Irish Times

Joyce’s Nighttown: The Monto Walking Tour

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Join Dublin historian Terry Fagan on a special two-hour walking tour around Monto, one of the most notorious redlight districts in all of Europe at the turn of the 20th century, what James Joyce immortalised as “Nighttown” in the “Circe” episode of Ulysses.

Walk the streets steeped in history as Terry explains the stories of Monto madams, their cruel pimps, and the women trapped in a life of prostitution. Stories of murders and mayhem. How the women in the brothels gathered intelligence and guns from British soldiers to give to the IRA. How they helped unmask a British spy during the Irish War of Independence. Hear about the 1925 police raid on Monto’s brothels and their closure, followed by a large-scale religious march by Frank Duff and his Legion of Mary.

See and hear about 82 Tyrone (now Railway) Street, the location of Bella Cohen’s brothel that Leopold Bloom and Stephen Dedalus visit in Ulysses.

This is a unique opportunity to explore an area of Dublin unlike any other, one frequented by paupers and princes (literally) and remembered by the likes of Joyce and the Irish band The Dubliners, among many others.

Day and Time: 16 June 2024 at 11am

Starting Point: James Joyce Statue, North Earth Street

Distance: 2 km

Duration: Approximately 2 hours

Group Size: 20 maximum

For more information, please contact Terry at folkloreproject20@gmail.com.

Tickets are €10

Pat Liddy Walking Tour

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Join us on this fantastic walking tour to celebrate James Joyce’s Ulysses in the best way possible, by following some of  the wanderings traced out by Leopold Bloom more 100 years before. Starting near one of his main character’s childhood home and finishing where Bloom enjoyed his lunch, join our professional guides as they take you through the city that inspired Joyce so much. This tour is most suitable for people are beginning the James Joyce journey or who want to see some of the places mentioned in his works. The tour is not intended for Joycean experts!

Date & Time

Sunday, June 15th and Monday, June 16th at 10.30am and 2.30pm.

Duration

Approximately 2.5 hours. Finish point is beside Davy Byrne’s Pub, Duke Street.

Prices

€27 Adult
€22 Seniors/Students
€15 Children aged 12-18 years with accompanying adult
FREE Children under 12 with accompanying adult

Meeting Point

Outside of the Gate Theatre. Please arrive 10 minutes before the tour starts.

Father John Conmee S.J. Walking Tour

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Joycean guides Dr. Michael Quinn and Billy Fitzpatrick will lead you on this fascinating Bloomsday walking tour through Dublin’s North City following the exact route of “the superior, the very reverend” Father John Conmee S.J. in the “Wandering Rocks” episode of Ulysses.

The tour route includes Mountjoy Square, Great Charles Street, North Circular Road, North Richmond Street, Portland Row, Aldborough House, Five Lamps, North Strand Road, Newcomen Bridge, and Charleville Mall.

Tour 1: Departing 10.15am with a finish time around 12.30 p.m.

Tour 2: Departing 2:45pm (as per “Wandering Rocks”) with a finish time around 5.00 p.m.

The meeting point is in front of St. Francis Xavier’s Church, Upper Gardiner Street, Dublin 1.

Tickets are €16.

Dr. Michael Quinn is the author of Araby House, James Joyce and all the neighbours on North Richmond Street, Dublin, 1820-1998 (Dublin, 2023), (available for purchase at the James Joyce Centre). Billy Fitzpatrick is an author and former president of the Teachers’ Union of Ireland.

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.

The Balloonatics Bloomsday Street Theatre Tours

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The Balloonatics are hitting the streets of dear, dirty Dublin once again on Bloomsday, June 16th with on-location recreations of Ulysses.

This year we have a big team of experienced performers: Mark Wale, Paul O’Hanrahan, Mick Greer, Paul Dornan, Chris Bilton and musician John Goudie. We are presenting two theatrical walks, one outdoor performance (no booking required) and two shows in Wynn’s Hotel – one is sold out and for the other advance booking is strongly advised.

All our street events are free of charge but we do like to pass the hat at the end to meet our costs!

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 immersive tour follows the ‘Calypso’ episode of Ulysses, chapter 4.

11 am From Capel Street to Courthouse. 
Meet on the wide side of Grattan Bridge over the Liffey.
This theatrical tour with commentary visits sites linked with the ‘Sirens’ and ‘Cyclops’ episodes of Ulysses, chapters 11 and 12, and explores Capel Street’s Joyce connections.

3 pm Cabman’s Shelter
Meet at the Connolly memorial under the railway bridge near Beresford Place.
This performance, based on the ‘Eumaeus’ episode (chapter 16), takes place at the site of the Cabman’s Shelter where Bloom and Stephen try to get some late night sustenance.
A new addition to Bloomsday, developed in association with The James Joyce Centre.

6 p.m. The Many Trials of Leopold Bloom (early show only)
Wynn’s Hotel, Lower Abbey Street
Advance booking recommended: tickets €12 (plus fee) on Eventbrite, https://tinyurl.com/2yfr6upv
Fantasy takes over as Bloom makes his way through Dublin’s brothel area. A rollercoaster one-hour romp through Bloom’s fevered imagination.

SOLD OUT 7.30 pm Humid Nightblue Fruit: Performances and Readings Wynn’s Hotel, Lower Abbey Street
The Many Trials of Leopold Bloom
For this long-standing Bloomsday celebration, we present a new dramatised reading of the opening half of the ‘Circe’ episode. Followed by audience readings. SOLD OUT

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

“The Stagnant Bays” at Marsh’s Library

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”… the stagnant bay of Marsh’s library where you read the fading prophecies of Joachim Abbas…” Ulysses, Chapter 3, ‘Proteus’

While waiting for his exam results from University College, the young James Joyce visited Marsh’s Library on the 22nd and 23rd of October 1902.  He wrote down his address in the Visitors’ Book as ‘7 St Peter’s Terrace, Cabra.’

This year Marsh’s Library will provide a special tour on Saturday, June 14 at 3.00 pm. Guests will see Joyce’s signature in the visitors’ book and the 1589 edition of Joachim Abbas’s book that he read. You will also be able to sit in one of the original chairs at the table where James Joyce consulted these ‘fading prophecies.’

Tickets are €25.

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

Now Strike Your Note: A Bloomsday Tour of Listen Again Now

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Seamus Heaney was a great fan of James Joyce; when he appeared on Radio 4’s ‘Desert Island discs’ in 1989, it was Joyce’s ‘Ulysses’ he chose as the one book he would take to the desert island. There is also no denying he was a great influence on Heaney, appearing to him as a veritable voice of wisdom in the twelve-part poem ‘Station Island,’ advising him to strike his note.

This Bloomsday weekend at the Seamus Heaney: Listen Now Again Cultural & Heritage Centre, join us for a special tour of the Seamus Heaney: Listen Now Again exhibition on Saturday 14th June at 1pm where you can discover all the indelible connections between these two masters of the pen.

The event is free but booking is essential.

Vintage Tea Trips Bloomsday Bus Tour

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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 Hannah (aka Woman in Wool) 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:

  • Tour Dates: June 13th, 14th and 15th at 1.15pm and June 16th at 1.15pm and 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

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.

For more information, please email ringsenddistricthistorical@gmail.com.

The events are free and open to the public unless otherwise indicated.

Heart of Hibernia Rooftop Tour

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The GAA Museum in association with The James Joyce Centre present a unique tour of Dublin for the Bloomsday Festival.

Join tour guides for a Joycean tour of Dublin from the Skyline walkway on the roof of Croke Park on June 12th, 13th and 16th at 3.30pm. From this amazing vantage point, you can see “the Heart of the Hibernian metropolis” and enjoy readings from Joyce’s works.

You’ll see important Joycean landmarks and enjoy unrivalled views of Dublin in a very unique setting. Period dress is optional but please don’t wear high heels!

To celebrate our partnership, we’ve reduced tickets prices for this tour, but places are limited and must be booked online in advance.

Please note this tour is suitable for ages 16 years and over. The tour takes approximately two hours.

Visitors should check out the Kellogg’s Skyline Health and Safety advice before visiting. See www.crokepark.ie/gaamuseum for more information.

Tickets are €15 general, €12 concession.

Guided Tour of Monto AR

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Step into the hidden history of Dublin’s infamous red-light district with Monto AR, an immersive augmented reality experience designed by Jennifer Shortall in partnership with Irish XR company Imvizar.

Immortalised as Nighttown in the Circe episode of Ulysses, this notorious quarter was once the largest red-light district in Europe, at the same time being home to hundreds of Dublin’s poorest families. Join Jennifer for a guided tour of an augmented reality experience that brings this vanished world back to life.

📍 Starting Point: Entrance to the LAB Gallery, 1 Foley Street, Dublin 1

📅 Dates & Times:

  • Thursday, 12th June – 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
  • Friday, 13th June – 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
  • Saturday, 14th June – 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM

Monto AR is a location-based, walkable immersive experience with six stops on a circular route around the streets that made up Joyce’s Nighttown:
📍 Foley Street (formerly Montgomery Street)
📍 James Joyce Street (formerly Mabbott Street)
📍 Railway Street (formerly Mecklenburgh Street Lower)

Users can access the experience for free on their personal mobile devices (phone, tablet, etc.) by downloading the Imvizar app and visiting the location. The app uses geolocation to identify when you are near one of its experiences.

At each of the six stops, the app will prompt you to scan a physical feature with your phone’s camera, and a digitally recreated scene will appear before your eyes.

What You’ll Need:

📱 A fully charged phone or tablet with internet access
🎧 Headphones/earphones (recommended for the best audio experience, as the tour takes place outdoors)

Tickets are €5.

Footsteps of Leopold Bloom Walking Tour

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The ‘Lestrygonians’ episode of Ulysses sees Leopold Bloom make his way through the city centre on his way from Middle Abbey Street to the National Library. As he begins to feel the rumblings of hunger, his thoughts become centred on the social, political cultural and religious significance of food; as he goes on to think, food underlies all relations to the extent that “peace and war depend on some fellow’s digestion.” Bloom’s musings on the importance of food are mixed with a commentary on the architecture that surrounds him, emphasising Dublin’s position as a colonial city. Join our guide as we follow in Bloom’s footsteps and discuss these thoughts, focusing on Joyce’s effort to bring the unsavoury workings of the body into a work of art and use food as the basis of a political and social commentary.

This tour is ideal for fans of Ulysses and for those who want a truly immersive Joycean experience!

Day and Time: 11-16 June at 2pm

Start Location: James Joyce Centre, 35 Great George’s Street North

End Location: The National Museum, Kildare Street

Distance: 2 km

Duration: Approximately 2 hours

Group Size: 20 maximum

We ask that you arrive at least 15 minutes early for check-in.

Tickets are €20 general, €15 concession.

Loquation, Loquation, Loquation: A Timid Circling Around the Custom House

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Join OPW Custom House Visitor Centre’s resident Joycín to discover the building and surrounding area’s relevance to the life and works of James “Disgustin” Joyce. You will be provided with a skeleton map (purely psychogeographic) which will serve as a point of access for the as yet uninitiated and may even offer a new direction for any poor unfortunate (academic) lost in the weeds.

The tour is offered on Wednesday, June 11th and Thursday, June 12th at 1pm.

The tours are free but booking is essential.

The Most Historic Spot in All Dublin: Guided Tour of the Remains of St. Mary’s Abbey

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“Yes, sir, Ned Lambert said heartily. We are standing in the historic council chamber of saint Mary’s abbey where silken Thomas proclaimed himself a rebel in 1534. This is the most historic spot in all Dublin.” Ulysses

St. Mary’s Abbey, founded in 1139, was one of the largest and most important medieval monasteries in Ireland. Although there are few visible remains of the Abbey today, its memory is preserved in local street names – Abbey Street, Little Mary Street, Capel Street (from the Latin Capella) and Mary Street. Of the original buildings there now remains only the Chapter House and the Slype. 

The Chapter House was the most important room in the monastery after the Church. Here the monks gathered after morning mass. After prayers, a chapter from the Rule was read out (hence domus capituli or chapter house) followed by comments and spiritual advice from the abbot. Then came prayers for the dead and the ceremony ended with public confession, each monk in turn speaking openly in front of his brothers. The Chapter House was the conference room of the monastery and as such merited special architectural treatment. The Slype was the corridor which linked the privacy of the cloister with the open area to the East, where the infirmary was usually situated. 

James Joyce writes about St. Mary’s Abbey in Ulysses and references the streets it inspired throughout his oeuvre. In honour of Joyce, the Office of Public Works/Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí is offering free tours of the Abbey during the Bloomsday Festival. 

Tour Schedule: 

  • Wednesday, 11th June at 11am  
  • Thursday, 12th June at 11am  
  • Friday, 13th June at 11am  
  • Saturday, 14th June at 11am  
  • Monday, 16th June at 11am 

Tickets are free but booking is essential.

Please note that St. Mary’s Abbey is not accessible for anyone with mobility issues.  

Introducing Joyce’s Dublin Walking Tour

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Though Joyce lived most of his life outside of Ireland, Dublin would provide the backdrop for virtually all of his work. On a stroll around the north inner city, our guide will explain the real-life inspiration behind some of Joyce’s most celebrated writing and will show just how central the streetscape of the “Hibernian metropolis” is to the author’s life and art. The tour visits stops such as Joyce’s alma mater, Belvedere College; North Hardwicke Street, the setting of the short story “The Boarding House”; The Gresham Hotel, the setting of the final and most memorable scene of the short story “The Dead”; and the James Joyce Statue on North Earl Street, affectionately known as the “Prick with the Stick.” The tour also includes a visit to the site of one of the most famous addresses in English literature, No. 7 Eccles Street, and retraces the steps of Leopold Bloom’s celebrated journey to buy a pork kidney in the fourth episode of Ulysses.

This is an excellent and fun introduction to Joyce in a bustling part of the city!

Day and Time: 11-16 June at 11am

Start Location: James Joyce Centre, 35 Great George’s Street North

End Location: James Joyce Statue, North Earth Street

Distance: 2 km

Duration: Approximately 2 hours

Group Size: 20 maximum

We ask that you arrive at least 15 minutes early for check-in.

Tickets are €20 general, €15 concession.

The James Joyce Centre is supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

Jewish Dublin in the Time of Ulysses

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The Irish Jewish Museum is proud to present two events for Bloomsday, Sunday, June 16th about the Jewish history of Dublin during James Joyce’s time.

1.30pm: Joyce Focus Tour

The Irish Jewish Museum welcomes you to visit us in the heart of what was the Jewish quarter of Portobello. Here you will find memories of life as Leopold Bloom might have known and Joyce witnessed in the early 1900’s. €10 per ticket.

3pm: Screening of Estella

A documentary on the life of Estella Solomons, the Irish landscape and portrait painter and contemporary of Joyce. Born in Dublin in 1882 in a country on the verge of great political and social change, she joined the struggle for independence and her portraits record three generation of rebels, artists and literary figures who forged the new Ireland. (2002. Ireland. Colour. Beta. 52 mins)

The film is directed by Steve Woods, who will be present at the screening. €5 per ticket.

For reservations, please email info@jewishmuseum.ie. Tickets will be sold at the door.

A Rooftop Exploration of Bloomsday Dublin

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TU Dublin is proud to present a unique rooftop tour as part of the Bloomsday Festival. Enjoy the sights and sounds of the city while immersing yourself in the world of James Joyce’s iconic novel Ulysses from the rooftop of the TU Dublin Conservatory on Thursday, June 13th at 11am-12:30pm. A Joycean guide will point out the various places and landmarks mentioned in Joyce’s novel, taking full advantage of the Conservatory’s breathtaking vantage point. You will have a clear view of:

  • The Wellington Monument and scene of the Phoenix Park Murders.
  • The geography of the Cyclops episode, with Tom Kernan’s walking route.
  • The homes of Connoly Norman, Joe Cuffe, and Lorcan Sherlock.
  • St. Peter’s Church
  • Broadstone Terminus
  • Molly’s goodbye to Milly.
  • The route of the Liffey from Kippure by loop to ‘Eve and Adam’s from Finnegans Wake.
  • And so much more!

The meeting point is in the foyer of the East Quad, TU Dublin: https://maps.app.goo.gl/QABivaVeBPSYpGFv5.

The campus is best accessed via public transport. Information about accessing TU Dublin can be found here: https://www.tudublin.ie/explore/our-campuses/grangegorman/getting-here/.

Attendees may be interested in the launch of the Golden Bandstand right after the tour between TU Dublin’s Greenway Hub and Central Quadthat day. The event will feature live music. More information can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/w82KAUbnKPfYmjXC/.

The event is free but booking is essential.

Please address any queries to Dr. Brian Gormley at brian.gormley@TUDublin.ie.

Bloomsday Villages: Sandymount

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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 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.

Exclusive Preview of Monto AR

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Join us for an exclusive preview of Monto AR, an immersive experience that brings to life the landmark sites of Edwardian Monto, once the largest red-light district in Europe. Immortalised by Joyce as Night Town in Ulysses, Monto was a dark playground for the dissolute sons of the upper classes, featuring flash houses, low-end kips, shebeens, and pubs on every corner. Yet, it was also home to thousands of working-class people, including some of the very poorest families living in deplorable tenements.

Using the Imvizar app on your personal mobile device, you’ll stand on the very streets that were once notorious for prostitution and vice, and see the buildings that once stood there.

The event will start at The LAB Gallery, 1 Foley Street, Dublin 1. There are two previews at 1pm and 2pm.

The event is free but booking is essential.

Balloonatics Bloomsday

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Celebrating Bloomsday 2025 on the streets of Dublin
Balloonatics Bloomsday
Monday June 16 2025

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 we have a big team of experienced performers: Mark Wale, Paul O’Hanrahan, Mick Greer, Paul Dornan, Chris Bilton and musician John Goudie. Join us on Bloomsday throughout the day: we are presenting two theatrical walks, one outdoor performance (no booking required) and two shows in Wynn’s Hotel – one is sold out and for the other advance booking is strongly advised. All our street events are free of charge but we do like to pass the hat at the end to meet our costs.

Performances: 
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 immersive tour follows the ‘Calypso’ episode of Ulysses, chapter 4.

11 am From Capel Street to Courthouse. 
Meet on the wide side of Grattan Bridge over the Liffey.
This theatrical tour with commentary visits sites linked with the ‘Sirens’ and ‘Cyclops’ episodes of Ulysses, chapters 11 and 12, and explores Capel Street’s Joyce connections.

3 pm Cabman’s Shelter
Meet at the Connolly memorial under the railway bridge near Beresford Place.
This performance, based on the ‘Eumaeus’ episode (chapter 16), takes place at the site of the Cabman’s Shelter where Bloom and Stephen try to get some late night sustenance.

A new addition to Bloomsday, developed in association with the James Joyce Centre.

6 p.m. The Many Trials of Leopold Bloom (early show only)
Wynn’s Hotel, Lower Abbey Street
Fantasy takes over as Bloom makes his way through Dublin’s brothel area. A rollercoaster one-hour romp through Bloom’s fevered imagination.
Advance booking recommended: tickets €12 (plus fee) on Eventbrite, https://tinyurl.com/2yfr6upv

SOLD OUT 7.30 pm Humid Nightblue Fruit: Performances and Readings Wynn’s Hotel, Lower Abbey Street
The Many Trials of Leopold Bloom
For this long-standing Bloomsday celebration, we present a new dramatised reading of the opening half of the ‘Circe’ episode. Followed by audience readings. SOLD OUT

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

Kellogg’s Skyline Croke Park Bloomsday Festival Tour

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The GAA Museum in association with the James Joyce Centre present a unique tour of Dublin for the Bloomsday Festival.

Map James Joyce’s Ulysses from the unique perspective of Kellogg’s Skyline at Croke Park. See Dublin Bay from Howth Head to the Sugarloaf, the heart of the Hibernian metropolis, Phoenix Park, Kippure, and the Royal Canal to Glasnevin Cemetery. The tour will feature Bloomsday readings and songs. Feel free to dress up in your finest Bloomsday clothing as we see Dublin from above!

Details:

  • Date: Tuesday, June 11th
  • Time: Meeting at 3:30pm. Depart at 4pm.
  • Duration: Approximately 90 minutes
  • Meeting Point: The Michael Cusack statue in front of the GAA Museum
  • Price: Free
  • Maximum Capacity: 30
  • Patrons must be aged 12 or over.
  • The tour includes a health and safety demonstration and journey to the Kellogg’s Skyline walkway. Visitors will be required to confirm that they have read a full list of health and safety advice found here: https://crokepark.ie/tours/skyline/skyline-health-and-safety.
  • Lift access is available for wheelchair users.
  • A photographer will join the tour and photographs may be used to promote future events.
  • Due to construction works, access to the GAA Museum is currently via St James’ Avenue. Turn off the Clonliffe Road. Free parking is available using this entrance.
  • Please note that there are 100 steps that visitors must walk up and down Kellogg’s Skyline.
  • Tickets are free but booking is essential.

James Joyce Institute of Ireland Annual Pre-Bloomsday Walk: Abode of Bliss

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The James Joyce Institute of Ireland is proud to lead its annual pre-Bloomsday Walk. This year’s walk, “Abode of Bliss,” will follow the routes of the Ithaca and Calypso episodes of Ulysses, also incorporating the one-legged sailor’s visit to Eccles Street in Wandering Rocks and a short Finnegans Wake related detour to Four Masters Park. The itinerary leads from North Great George’s Street to North Great Denmark Street, Temple Street, Hardwicke Place, Eccles Street and Dorset Street. Readings and reenactments will take place en route.
The tour starts at the James Joyce Centre. The duration is approximately two hours.
The walk is conducted by Robert Nicholson, author of The Ulysses Guide: Tours Through Joyce’s Dublin and Secretary of the James Joyce Centre Board of Directors. Nicholson will be accompanied by members of the James Joyce Institute of Ireland. The public are welcome to join in at no charge. Bring a copy of Ulysses if you have one.

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.

Vintage Tea Trips Bloomsday Bus Tour

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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 Most Historic Spot in All Dublin”: Guided Tour of the Remains of St. Mary’s Abbey

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“Yes, sir, Ned Lambert said heartily. We are standing in the historic council chamber of saint Mary’s abbey where silken Thomas proclaimed himself a rebel in 1534. This is the most historic spot in all Dublin.” Ulysses

St. Mary’s Abbey, founded in 1139, was one of the largest and most important medieval monasteries in Ireland. Although there are few visible remains of the Abbey today, its memory is preserved in local street names – Abbey Street, Little Mary Street, Capel Street (from the Latin Capella) and Mary Street. Of the original buildings there now remains only the Chapter House and the Slype.

The Chapter House was the most important room in the monastery after the Church. Here the monks gathered after morning mass. After prayers, a chapter from the Rule was read out (hence domus capituli or chapter house) followed by comments and spiritual advice from the abbot. Then came prayers for the dead and the ceremony ended with public confession, each monk in turn speaking openly in front of his brothers. The Chapter House was the conference room of the monastery and as such merited special architectural treatment. The Slype was the corridor which linked the privacy of the cloister with the open area to the East, where the infirmary was usually situated.

James Joyce writes about St. Mary’s Abbey in Ulysses and references the streets it inspired throughout his oeuvre. In honour of Joyce, the Office of Public Works/Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí is offering free tours of the Abbey during the Bloomsday Festival.

Tour Schedule:

June 10, 12, 14 at 11am. Tickets are free but booking is essential.

June 16 at 1-3pm. No booking required. Numbers are limited inside the space, so visitors may have to queue for entry.

Please note that St. Mary’s Abbey is not accessible for anyone with mobility issues.

The Citizens’ Breakfast

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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.

Loquation, Loquation, Loquation: A Timid Circling Around the Custom House

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Join OPW Custom House Visitor Centre’s resident Joycín to discover the building and surrounding area’s relevance to the life and works of James “Disgustin” Joyce. You will be provided with a skeleton map (purely psychogeographic) which will serve as a point of access for the as yet uninitiated and may even offer a new direction for any poor unfortunate (academic) lost in the weeds.

The tour is offered on Wednesday, June 13th and Friday, June 15th at 1pm. The tours are free but booking is essential.

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!

Dalkey Schoolroom Scene & Guided Walk

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Join us at Dalkey Castle on Bloomsday, 16th June at 3:30pm, when the “Nestor” episode from Ulysses will be brought to life before your eyes in a memorable dramatisation.

The schoolroom where the scene is set is nearby on Dalkey Avenue. There are other surprising Dalkey connections with Joyce which will be uncovered in the guided joycean walk led by Joyce expert Joe Dunne immediately after the performance.

The whole event runs for around two hours. Tickets are €22.95.

Outside of Bloomsday festival celebrations, you can Rejoyce in Joyce through our Joycean experience.

The event is supported by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

Joyce’s Nighttown: The Monto Walking Tour

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Join Dublin historian Terry Fagan on a special two-hour walking tour around Monto, one of the most notorious redlight districts in all of Europe at the turn of the 20th century, what James Joyce immortalised as “Nighttown” in the “Circe” episode of Ulysses.

Walk the streets steeped in history as Terry explains the stories of Monto madams, their cruel pimps, and the women trapped in a life of prostitution. Stories of murders and mayhem. How the women in the brothels gathered intelligence and guns from British soldiers to give to the IRA. How they helped unmask a British spy during the Irish War of Independence. Hear about the 1925 police raid on Monto’s brothels and their closure, followed by a large-scale religious march by Frank Duff and his Legion of Mary.

See and hear about 82 Tyrone (now Railway) Street, the location of Bella Cohen’s brothel that Leopold Bloom and Stephen Dedalus visit in Ulysses.

This is a unique opportunity to explore an area of Dublin unlike any other, one frequented by paupers and princes (literally) and remembered by the likes of Joyce and the Irish band The Dubliners, among many others.

Day and Time: 16 June 2024 at 11am

Starting Point: James Joyce Statue, North Earth Street

Distance: 2 km

Duration: Approximately 2 hours

Group Size: 20 maximum

Tickets are €10. For more information, please contact Terry at folkloreproject20@gmail.com.

Pat Liddy Walking Tour

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Bloomsday Walk – Pat Liddy Walking Tour

16 June: 10.30am and 2.30pm

Pat Liddy Walking Tours are ideal for those interested in a first introduction to James Joyce and will celebrate the life of the iconic Irish writer by walking through the streets of Dublin, the city he immortalized in his ground-breaking novel, Ulysses.

The itinerary, lasting approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes, will partly follow in the footsteps of the book’s main character, Leopold Bloom, in his famous wanderings in the year 1904 and there will be liberal quotations from Ulysses as we stroll along. On this colourful occasion many people will be gaily dressed in the flamboyant costumes of the period so please feel free to do the same!

Meeting Point: Outside the Gate Theatre on Cavendish Row (just beyond the top of O’Connell Street).

Tickets are €25 general, €15 concession. Free under 12 years old with an adult (except for student groups). Booking and further information: https://www.walkingtours.ie/bloomsday-walk

Father John Conmee S.J. Walking Tour

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Joycean guides Dr. Michael Quinn and Billy Fitzpatrick will lead you on this fascinating Bloomsday walking tour through Dublin’s North City following the exact route of “the superior, the very reverend” Father John Conmee S.J. in the “Wandering Rocks” episode of Ulysses.

The tour route includes Mountjoy Square, Great Charles Street, North Circular Road, North Richmond Street, Portland Row, Aldborough House, Five Lamps, North Strand Road, Newcomen Bridge, and Charleville Mall.

Tour 1: Departing 10.25am with a finish time around 12.30 p.m.

Tour 2: Departing 2:55pm (as per “Wandering Rocks”) with a finish time around 5.00 p.m.

The meeting point is in front of St. Francis Xavier’s Church, Upper Gardiner Street, Dublin 1.

Tickets are €15.

Dr. Michael Quinn is the author of Araby House, James Joyce and all the neighbours on North Richmond Street, Dublin, 1820-1998 (Dublin, 2023), (available for purchase at the James Joyce Centre). Billy Fitzpatrick is an author and former president of the Teachers’ Union of Ireland.

Drumcondra Joycean Jaunt

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“He crossed the bridge over the stream of the Tolka, and turned his eyes coldly for an instant towards the faded blue shrine of the Blessed Virgin which stood fowl wise on a pole in the middle of a hamshaped encampment of poor cottages. Then, bending to the left, he followed the lane which led up to his house.”
–A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

“that she would never forget her hero boy who went to his death with a song on his lips as if he were but going to a hurling match in Clonturk Park.”
–Ulysses

On the 120th anniversary of Bloomsday, Drumcondra Joycean Jaunters will convene at the current day shrine of the Blessed Virgin in Our Lady’s Park on the banks of the Tolka, across from Fagan’s, to celebrate the day. We will follow the short route taken by Stephen Dedalus to his home on Millbourne Avenue. There, under the shadow of the Drumcondra Library, we will celebrate the day in the spirit (non-alcoholic!) of the first Bloomsday “jant” held 70 years ago in 1954, when amongst others, Patrick Kavanagh (whose first Dublin home was in Drumcondra), set out on a Ulyssesean pilgrimage.

All are welcome to join us on this Bloomsday Sunday, including GAA fans on their way to Croke Park!

The event is free but booking is essential.

Joyce and Heaney Connections

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As Irish poet Seamus Heaney once said, the English language opens “like an accordion…at the hands of a musician” in Joyce’s masterpiece Ulysses.

Join our guides on Wednesday, June 12th at 1pm for a special tour of ‘Seamus Heaney: Listen Now Again’ at the Bank of Ireland on Westmoreland Street. In collaboration with the Bloomsday Festival, the tour will delve into the Joycean inspirations and connections in the early drafts of Heaney’s work.

The tour is free.

Footsteps of Leopold Bloom Walking Tour

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The ‘Lestrygonians’ episode of Ulysses sees Leopold Bloom make his way through the city centre on his way from Middle Abbey Street to the National Library. As he begins to feel the rumblings of hunger, his thoughts become centred on the social, political cultural and religious significance of food; as he goes on to think, food underlies all relations to the extent that “peace and war depend on some fellow’s digestion.” Bloom’s musings on the importance of food are mixed with a commentary on the architecture that surrounds him, emphasising Dublin’s position as a colonial city. Join our guide as we follow in Bloom’s footsteps and discuss these thoughts, focusing on Joyce’s effort to bring the unsavoury workings of the body into a work of art and use food as the basis of a political and social commentary.

This tour is ideal for fans of Ulysses and for those who want a truly immersive Joycean experience!

Day and Time: 11-16 June at 2pm

Start Location: James Joyce Centre, 35 Great George’s Street North

End Location: The National Museum, Kildare Street

Distance: 2 km

Duration: Approximately 2 hours

Group Size: 20 maximum

We ask that you arrive at least 15 minutes early for check-in.

Tickets are €20 general, €15 concession.

Introducing Joyce’s Dublin Walking Tour

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Though Joyce lived most of his life outside of Ireland, Dublin would provide the backdrop for virtually all of his work. On a stroll around the north inner city, our guide will explain the real-life inspiration behind some of Joyce’s most celebrated writing and will show just how central the streetscape of the “Hibernian metropolis” is to the author’s life and art. The tour visits stops such as Joyce’s alma mater, Belvedere College; North Hardwicke Street, the setting of the short story “The Boarding House”; The Gresham Hotel, the setting of the final and most memorable scene of the short story “The Dead”; and the James Joyce Statue on North Earl Street, affectionately known as the “Prick with the Stick.” The tour also includes a visit to the site of one of the most famous addresses in English literature, No. 7 Eccles Street, and retraces the steps of Leopold Bloom’s celebrated journey to buy a pork kidney in the fourth episode of Ulysses.

This is an excellent and fun introduction to Joyce in a bustling part of the city!

Day and Time: 11-16 June at 11am

Start Location: James Joyce Centre, 35 Great George’s Street North

End Location: James Joyce Statue, North Earth Street

Distance: 2 km

Duration: Approximately 2 hours

Group Size: 20 maximum

We ask that you arrive at least 15 minutes early for check-in.

Tickets are €20 general, €15 concession.