Dublin steps back in time for Bloomsday

WELL-KNOWN faces got into the spirit of Bloomsday last week as they arrived at Westland Roe’s historical pub, Kennedy’s, for a special breakfast.

Actors, musicians, politicians and visitors on their way to work all joined in the tradition, to recreate the summer morning chronicled by James Joyce in ‘Ulysses’ that is set in Dublin on June 16, 112 years ago. 

Guests were served with the finest fare from the time while actors Ciarán McMahon and Mary Ryan performed comic scenes, songs and readings from Ulysses, with Rose Lawless Cabaret taking centre stage as Molly Bloom. 

 The performance included excerpts from ‘Barney Kiernan’s pub’ and Molly Bloom’s soliloquy while looking at aspects of the novel in the light of the 1916 Rising. 

Ms Cabaret said the Molly Bloom soliloquy is the glorious finale to James Joyce’s Ulysses, where Leopold Bloom’s wife, Molly, freely ruminates over her life, her lost child, her affair, her desires, her memories and her marriage.

“Her monologue breaks with traditional syntax as there are no full stops or punctuation of any kind, but the language has its own poetic rhythm, revealed through the candid and dazzling profanity of the language,” Rose explained.

Brian O’Donohue, co-owner of Kennedy’s, said the pub is steeped in history and literary tradition.  

“You can feel this as soon as you step through the doors,” he said.

“The pub started life back in 1850 as a grocery store where Oscar Wilde earned his first shilling. 

“It has gone on to enjoy the custom of some of our great writers including Beckett and Joyce.  “It is only fitting that we host this great commemoration of Joyce’s finest work here on Bloomsday in conjunction with our friends in Sweny’s.”

Sweny’s Pharmacy is situated on Westland Row across the road from Kennedy’s.

It is featured in Ulysses, and is described in sumptuous detail within the novel. 

Today, Sweny’s is a registered charity and operates as a not for profit organisation without any significant sponsorship.

It is maintained by volunteers, dedicated to preserving the shop as it was in Joyce’s time.