There are plenty of reasons to visit Dublin, from the city’s history to the great night out that it offers. But this weekend there is even more reason to pay a visit.
This Saturday (June 16) is Bloomsday in Dublin, a day on which both tourists and the city’s residents celebrate Irish writer James Joyce’s epic novel Ulysses.
A unique celebration of a masterpiece, Bloomsday sees walking tours of the city, recreations of events in Ulysses, and dramatic readings of extracts from the book.
Holding parallels with Homer’s Odyssey, the novel tells the story of Leopold Bloom’s journey through Dublin on a single day – 16 June 1904.
Ulysses has divided opinion in the literary world over the years, but few pieces of work are celebrated in quite the same way every year by its fans.
This Saturday marks the end of a week of festivities in the city, organised by the James Joyce Centre. The Bloomsday Festival has been going on all week in Dublin, with tributes to Joyce, tours of the city and performances of the soliloquies that appear in the novel.
On Bloomsday itself, performances will take place on the streets featured in the book while liquid celebrations are sure to go on into the night.
Popular routes to Dublin include:
London to Dublin
Bristol to Dublin
Birmingham to Dublin
Newcastle to Dublin
Edinburgh to Dublin
(Images: William Murphy, Flapdragon, 6px)
