June 16 is
Bloomsday, a celebration of all things Ulysses. I've never read Ulysses, and let's face it I am completely unlikely to ever to read it, but I can still rejoice in Bloomsday. Not that I want to eat kidneys for breakfast all that much.
I was in Dublin in 2010 on Bloomsday and tried to do a Bloomsday walking tour, but it turns out that there are two tourist information centres in Dublin and waiting at the wrong one doesn't help. Still I took in some Bloomsday sights, aided by the Literary Walking Tour in my trusty Eyewitness Guide.
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| Bust of James Joyce in St Stephen's Green- possibly the most beautiful park in the world |
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Sweeny's Chemist where Leopold Bloom bought lemon soap.
Actually this makes me want to read Ulysses even less. |
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| Joyce was a student at Newman House from 1899-1902 |
What is a Dublin walking tour without a few pubs?
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| Davy Byrnes- apparently the setting of a famous scene in Ulysses |
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| Joyce liked a drink at The Duke- as did Brendan Behan, Patrick Kavanagh and Flann O'Brien. |
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| The cult of Ulysses is still everywhere in Dublin |
30 comments:
Happy Bloomsday!
After touring with you, I think I need to stop at one of those pubs. I'm thirsty! ;-)
The tour does look more accessible than Ulysses! I've started reading it a few times and never got very far.
I have three Joyce books on my shelf here..... have not read one of them yet. To my shame, I guess.
BUT..... I have read that Yann Martel one, above the Joyce stuff, and I loved it.
Great pics.
If I were in Dublin, I would be so full of Guinness I would not be able to WALK a walking tour of any kind!
There must be something in the beer at The Duke for writers...will have to travel there sometime soon. Thanks for sharing your pics!
Thank you for that tour! Ulysses is a book I will probably never read, but I always appreciate knowing more about famous writers.
Great shots! The pubs would be my favorite spot...the conviviality of them encircles all who enter their doors. Or so my eldest son says, as he lived in Ireland for several months. He took some shots inside the pubs that are my favorites.
Thanks for sharing, and Happy Bloomsday!
Here's MY SATURDAY SNAPSHOT
Lovely photos! That bust is wonderful! Looks like it was lovely weather for a tour.
Great shots, and thanks for sharing some of the Ulysses lore. I don't think I'll ever read it either, to be honest. The bust is great, my favorite.
Very cool photos! Love just looking at the buildings!
So, I don't know what Bloomsday is at all, but I love your Dublin photos. Dublin is on my list of places I want to visit. Book Savvy Babe
I am never going to read Ulysses EVER! But I liked the photos!
Here is my Saturday Snapshot post!
I wanna go! I've never been to Ireland although I do recall a couple of cute Irish publovers, Ian and Declan, from my youth. And daunting as it may be, maybe I'll try the dreaded Ulysses. Hmmm. Maybe not. Thanks for the inspiring pics, Louise!
The bust is amazing. Perhaps I'm a bit peculiar, but I have read Ulysses, and I did enjoy it - and I'm very envious of you going to Dublin.
My Snapshot is here http://goo.gl/vTUc8
This is one cool statue.
Lovely pictures as always. After watching my husband suffer through Ulysses I promised myself I wouldn't undertake that particular challenge. But a Dublin tour looks like fun!
I always love making book/author connections to places I visit. Fun to see these--even if I have no plans of EVER reading Ulysses!
Thanks for the education. I didn't know about Bloomsday.
Happy Bloomsday! I've read Ulysses--because I thought that was an English Major-y kind of thing to do. You haven't missed much...trust me. Joyce is much better in short story form--at least I think so.
And that bust is just....well...BIG. Great pictures!
Here's my Snapshot.
I bet it was wonderful to be in Dublin, particularly on Bloomsday! Thanks for sharing the photos!
I'm so ignorant, I had no idea what Bloomsday was. It's really my wedding anniversary, but Bloomsday will do. Great post. Thanks.
I visited Dublin just this past spring and hope to be able to return in a couple of years. I will so be going on some of the literary tours next time :)
How lucky you were to see Dublin. If I ever get there I must remember to visit St. Stephen's Green and the pubs. I wouldn't mind some kidneys for breakfast!
Thanks for sharing those! I tried reading Ulysses (made it 100 pages) and I think anything to add to the understanding (like visiting those places) would be helpful.
I Really enjoyed the tour! :-)
I enjoyed the vicarious tour of Dublin--truly enjoyed your pix and narrative.
:)
I think the tour sounds better than the book, but I shouldn't judge cause I've never tried to read it.
Looks like a lovely tour you had. I want to join you too at a pub-sans the kidneys please.
Thank you for your comments on my water lilies.
Great photos - I'd love to get to Ireland some day soon.
Like you I know I will never read Ulysses although that doesn't stop me from picking it up in bookshops all round the world...and just for a minute imagine, as I feel it's weight it my hands and flip through all those pages, that I am the kind of person who would actually read it!!
I had a friend that did the author tour when he was in Dublin and brought me home some bookmarks.
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