THE villages of Sandycove and Glasthule, where the opening scenes of ‘Ulysses’ take place, will once again pay homage to James Joyce on Sunday, June 16 for the Bloomsday Coastal Festival.
From culinary demonstrations and wine tasting, to vintage fashion and jazz, visitors are encouraged to dress up in period costume, take a step back in time while also being cognisant of the environment, marine life and the natural world.
2019 marks 115 years since Bloomsday was immortalised by Joyce and plans are afoot to close the streets from early morning until early evening, to serve the traditional Bloomsday breakfast of "inner organs of beast and fowl" and other such gastronomic delicacies.
Leading chefs, including Kevin Thornton, Derry Clarke, Ross Lewis and Martin Shanahan, will be dropping by to share their culinary insights with a focus on seafood.
As is tradition, actor Eamon Morrissey will read extracts from ‘Ulysses’ and there will be coastal and seafood themed talks, musical sets, poetry readings and thespians, in full Joycean regalia, will entertain throughout the day.
Through sponsorship this year by FLAG (Fisheries Local Action Group) North East, a community led local development scheme, the Bloomsday celebrations in the south Dublin villages will support the Going Green community initiative, which kicked off last year. Initiatives such as the local traders’ commitment to cutting out all disposable plastics, using compostable alternatives and showcasing sustainable produce throughout the festival, are all being activated.
Commenting on this year’s festival, Peter Caviston of Caviston’s Food Emporium, and one of the organisers of the Bloomsday Coastal Festival, said: “I have been laying out tables on Bloomsday in Glasthule since 1987 and, as a second-generation fishmonger, I am delighted to see this fantastic coastal festival grow and develop. We look forward to welcoming visitors from near and far and we invite them to enjoy an oyster, a gorgonzola cheese and mustard sandwich, perhaps a glass of Burgundy or whatever takes their fancy on Sunday, June 16.
In addition, there will be fantastic prizes up for grabs on the day for the best costume. Many of the traders will dress their windows, fancy up their frock shops and food emporiums and decant their finest wines as the streets come alive. So why not take the DART to Sandycove-Glasthule, join in the nostalgia and celebrate one of the most influential and important authors of the 20th century.