W
alking in the footsteps of James Joyce’s Ulysses through Dublin is one of the activities currently being promoted to the passengers of Russia’s national carrier Aeroflot, who can only get to the Irish capital from Moscow by flying through Genoa, Italy and taking another flight.
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“Dublin attracts fans of James Joyce and Saint Patrick’s Day..,” the Aeroflot website states. “Dublin offers theme city tours: you can trace James Joyce’s Ulysses route through Dublin, go on a leprechaun treasure hunt or enjoy a leisurely pub crawl. Plan your James Joyce walking tour for 16 June when the world celebrates Bloomsday, which is the day the novel takes place. Dubliners organize readings, performances and even free breakfast in places that Leonard Bloom, the novel’s protagonist, visited. This is sure to excite any traveller interested in literature. Visit Davy Byrne’s pub at 21 Duke Street, admire the James Joyce Statue and James Joyce Tower. Walk to 7 Eccles Street, which was the home of Leonid [presumably they meant to say Leopold] Bloom, but is now the site of a hospital. To learn some more about Joyce’s background and work, stop at the James Joyce Centre, one of the world’s best literature museum.” Without doubt the Russian people have a deep and rich literary tradition of their own and it is not a stretch to think that many of them would have a genuine appreciation in the Irish example of world class literature. Indeed, Joyce’s most famous book contains much to interest readers of all types and levels, but for all Ukranians the option of celebrating Bloomsday is a luxury they have been deprived of, amongst many other things. But despite its promotion of the literary masterpiece there are at least a couple of references in Ulysses that the Russian state operated carrier would probably like to ignore in the current climate. It is the pub scene in the Cyclops episode (episode 12) on the day trip around Dublin involving an accidential encounter in Barney Kiernan’s in Little Britain Street, Stoneybatter between Joe Hynes and the citizen, two characters already known to each other. Interestingly, the citizen was based on the real life figure of Michael Cusack, the founder of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA).
10 | THE IRISH SCENE
