James Joyce's Ulysses leaves Dublin as Bloomsday comes to Dunshaughlin
For years, on Bloomsday, a group from Dunshaughlin dressed in vintage costume travelled to Dublin for the annual literary event, celebrating the story of that one day in Dublin in 1904 around which the novel Ulysses is set.
This year, they are saved the commute, because Bloomsday is coming to Dunshaughlin and James Joyce's novel will be honoured with a 'Dunshaughlin Celebrates Bloomsday' celebration.
The day starts when Dunshaughlin Players, joined by actors from neighbouring theatre groups, and directed by Katy Leech, act out the the adventures and misadventures of Leopold and Molly Bloom. Short excerpts from the novel will be acted at a number of locations and there will also be music and 1904 street games with the local Brownies.
The participants will stroll to the Pastoral Centre for refreshments and songs of the period from the homegrown choir ‘Shooting Stars’. The day will finish with a production by the professional Curlew Theatre Company of their Joycean play, ‘NORAMOLLYANNALIVIALUCIA’.
A “Bloomsday Tapestry” has been created by an embroidery group in Dunshaughlin -Threads of Lore -and will be on display in the Pastoral Centre on Bloomsday.
The group has ‘painted in thread’ the buildings and structures associated with Bloomsday and James Joyce. This work of art has sparked enthusiasm amongst the community in anticipation of the 2024 Bloomsday celebrations.
The Threads of Lore are a group of enthusiastic artists who combine their creative talents to produce fabric works of art, with embroidery being the prominent medium.
The Bloomsday Tapestry is now being exhibited in a shop window at Maddens Hardware Store, on Main Street, Dunshaughlin until Saturday from where it will be transferred to the Pastoral Centre. Dunshaughlin Celebrates Bloomsday is a hop-on, hop-off event: people are welcome to come to all or some of the day’s events and are encouraged to dress in a vintage style. Dunshaughlin’s charity shops have stocked up on hats, scarves, boaters, blazers and bow ties. It’s a chance for the people of Dunshaughlin to get to know a little bit of ‘Ulysses’ and to meet on the street and enjoy the town and each other on a day to remember.