Bloomsday

Bloomsday celebrates the 16th of June 1904, the day depicted in James Joyce’s world famous novel Ulysses, and is named after the book’s central character Leopold Bloom. The National Library of Ireland celebrates our connection to Ulysses and James Joyce every year, both in our iconic Reading Room and the Seamus Heaney: Listen Now Again exhibition on College Green.

Just prior to entering the National Library, Leopold Bloom walks across Dublin—passing through Westmoreland Street —in the Aeolus episode of Ulysses. The National Library and its beautiful Reading Room then feature in Episode 9: Scylla and Charybdis, in which Bloom visits the library between approximately 2pm and 3pm.

Join Ayrton O’Brien as he reads from the Aeolus section of Ulysses at the Seamus Heaney: Listen Now Again exhibition on Westmoreland Street between 1pm and 2pm.

The Main Reading Room will be open to the public on Bloomsday between 5pm and 7:30pm. Ayrton will also be reading passages from Ulysses in the Reading Room at 5:30pm, 6pm, and 6:30pm.

No advance booking is required.

More Joyce Activities |

For more of the festivities, join us at the Seamus Heaney: Listen Now Again exhibition on Westmoreland Street for a special Bloomsday tour, Now Strike Your Note, on Saturday 14th June at 1pm to discover all the indelible connections between these two masters of the pen. 

The NLI also looks forward to participating in the Bloomsday Passport, more information will be posted closer to the date.