BLOOMSDAY 2019

Pól Ó Duibhir
Photo: Felix Larkin
Click on any image for a larger version

When we look back through photographs, there comes a point where we shade into black and white (and some shades of grey). This can give us a feeling of being very removed from the subject(s) of the photos as we are so used today to seeing everything in colour.

For some of us, however, this stripping down to the black and white essentials gives the photo more impact and forces us to concentrate on the essence rather than the glitter.

Consider, for a moment the impact of Joseph Strick's 1967 B&W film of Ulysses.

Nuff said, but in deference to my readers (both of them) I'll only stay in black and white for one more photo.

Niall O'Donoghue, David Hedigan, Felix Larkin

This is from Bloomsday 2014 at Martello Tower No.7 in Killiney Bay. It is modelled on a photo of the first Bloomsday commemoration which included among others Brian O'Nolan and Anthony Cronin.

The above photo shows Niall, who restored the Martello Tower to its former glory, David who gave the first readings from Joyce in this Tower's Bloomsday series, and Felix who subsequently gave us a learned presentation of the Aeolus chapter of Ulysses in 2017.

This year we remembered David, who died on 30 March 2015. I was also able to stitch in Gordon Brewster who died in my mother's shop on Bloomsday 1946.

Tower Guardroom

This is not the first time the main part of the event has been held indoors due to the inclemency of the weather. Fortunately the bad weather held off during the interval which allowed refreshments to be consumed outdoors on the gunnery plain, and also after the speech and the music to allow the many who remained on to catch up on conversations and re-stock up on the vittals. It resembled an Áras garden party but with a little more costumery.

Back indoors, after getting the attention of an audience deep in loud conversation with one another and nearly half an hour beyond the appointed starting time, I kicked off as MC with some doggerel welcoming the guests and outlining what was in store for them.

Not being used to this particular role I forgot the housekeeping bits, so we had a few short unintended mobile phone recitals in the course of the session.

Brían MacManus kicked off the event with some poetry readings, filling in the appropriate background. These included Joyce's Ecce Puer which gave him the opportunity to mention Joyce's son, the redoubtable Stephen, and the beautifully bound book which had to be pulped. It is widely rumoured that Brían has a copy.

Stephen jealously guarded the copyright on his father's work to the point of infamy. Brían allowed that this did preserve the integrity of Joyce's writings. We are now, however, in open season as the copyright has run out.

Kíeran Cummins
Photo: credit awaited

On to the music where Kíeran gave us renditions of Irish airs on the harp ...

Photo: credit awaited

... and then some vocals with his guitar. You can see his rendering of
Raglan Road in the video from which the photo above is taken.

At Niall's request he sang The Harp That Once Through Tara's Halls. The Martello is situated on Tara Hill and there is a background said to involve the Ark of the Covenant which was shared with the audience.

Photo: Felix Larkin

Later on he gave us some Irish airs on the fiddle (violin to you).

Kíeran also brought a fairly massive PA desk the microphone of which was also availed of by the three speakers.

Gordon Brewster's cartoon of Senator Oliver St. John Gogarty
(slightly modified by my substitution of Joyce Tower for Leinster House)

I then launched into my contribution, which had been prepared initially on the basis that there mightn't be enough entertainment to go round. As it turned out there was no shortage, but I went ahead anyway.

I thought to lighten the atmosphere with a verse about Oliver St. John Gogarty that I had written one insomniac night a while back. You know the fella with the pub in Temple Bar - the Saint John Gogarty, as I used to hear it referred to in their own ad on NewstalkFM.

Photo: Pat Mortimer

And then on to the business where I compared two French translations of two of Joyce's poems from his Chamber Music collection. Well, I actually compared the translations of one word from each of two poems, one of which words, as my friend Felix reminded me, wasn't a word at all.

And then we hit the interval.

I nearly forgot to call people back inside for Part 2 until Brían reminded me that this was presumably part of the MC's duties.

The Druidy Druids

Whatever about the lack of open space, and the tower backdrop for photos, the guardroom does provide an intimate setting for the performances. We kicked off Part 2 with the Druidy Druids.

Wendy Goodbody

Wendy gave us an impressive array of airs, spanning vocals in English, French, German, Italian and Irish. In among them was Bid Adieu, one of the poems I had dealt with, but here set to music - as I suppose befits a poem from a collection entitled Chamber Music.

Tommy

As well as backing Wendy, the instrumentalists in the group also played some airs and a jig, during which Wendy retreated to the bodhrán.

Finally, Dermot Stones gave us an account of Joyce meeting Ernest Hemingway in Paris and of the regard each had for the other.

In wrapping up, I wished Susan Hedigan a Happy Birthday and made sure, on behalf of the audience, to thank Niall for acquiring the site, restoring the Tower and initiating this series of marvelously varied Bloomsday events.

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I've included links below to my scripts and have offered the same facility to the other speakers if they have typescript versions of what they said, or even intended to say. If I get any I'll include links here.

Photo: Pat Mortimer

Introductory verses
This is where I kicked off as MC. The French was included to impress the French Ambassador who, in the event, couldn't make it. Having put in the French I couldn't leave the Gaeilge ar lár.

Gogarty's Goose
The ditty and what led to it.

Musique de Chambre
My two words in translation

Two poems - both translations
Full translations from Blonchon and Litvine of my chosen two poems. These were not read out but are included here to satisfy any ambient curiosity.

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Me with the Australian Ambassador
Photo: Pat Mortimer

Me with cousin Eddie
Photo: Pat Mortimer

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An almost up to the minute version of the invite. Dermot was added to the programme at the eleventh hour and didn't make the invite.