Bloomsday celebrates Thursday 16 June 1904, the day depicted in James Joyce’s novel Ulysses. The day is named after Leopold Bloom, the central character in Ulysses. The novel follows the life and thoughts of Leopold Bloom and a host of other characters – real and fictional – from 8am on 16 June 1904 through to the early hours of the following morning. Celebrations often include dressing up like characters from the book and in clothes that would have been the style of the era. One of the hallmark fancy dress items of Bloomsday is the straw boater hat. Celebrations come in many differen

Kick off your Bloomsday celebrations with an uplifting evening of theatre and music at Dalkey Castle. A talented cast will perform witty, moving extracts from Ulysses, Dubliners, and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, showcasing Joyce’s lighter side. Baritone, Simon Morgan, accompanied by Josh Johnston, will perform ‘Joycean’ songs. New for 2025! Enjoy Songs of Joyce — a lively musical journey through sea shanties, street ballads, and music hall favourites, performed with flair by Sinéad Murphy and Darina Gallagher.

Founded in 2010 by Sian Smyth and David McWilliams, Dalkey Book Festival celebrates and fosters literary talent in Ireland as well as hosting some of the world’s leading writers and thinkers. Pulling from the strong literary heritage and natural beauty of Dalkey the annual festival runs across the third weekend in June. Over the years the event has welcomed internationally renowned writers, world leaders, Oscar winners and Nobel Laureates. From compelling conversations to live performances and debate, Dalkey Book Festival has fostered a community that ignites dialogue, facilitates conv