When James Joyce was writing his own epic novel he was shadowing Homer's tales of the wanderings of Odysseus (called Ulysses by the Romans).
Summary
Odysseus roamed for ten years but the heroes of Joyce's Ulysses are only followed around the streets of Dublin for 18 hours, a short span of time that has gone down in literary history. This walk trails the footsteps of the most celebrated of the characters, Leopold Bloom, from when he first leaves No. 7 Eccles Street at around 8 a.m. until the late afternoon when he reaches the Ormond Hotel. For the sake of geographical continuity Bloom's mid-morning attendance at a funeral is ignored.
The action takes place on 16th June 1904, and anniversary that has since become known as Bloomsday. On that day Joyce fans perambulate and cavort their way around Dublin in the wake of Bloom and some of the other figures from the novel. You can undertake the walk on any day and still get the feeling of the occasion and discover just how much of Dublin Joyce would still recognize. It is probably more than you would assume after the passing of nearly a century. This walk, starting in Eccles Street, which is only 15 minutes on foot from the top of O'Connell Street, should interest everyone, from the most avid Ulysses reader to those who are just curious. It may even lead to your taking up this novel of novels for the first time.
Start: The site of No. 7 Eccles Street (Sraid Eccles).
Buses: 3, 11, 13, 16, 22, 36, 36A.
DART Station: None (20 minutes' walk to Tara Street).
Car parking: in Eccles Street car park.
Finish: Ormond Hotel, Upper Ormond Quay (Ce Urmhumhan Uachtar = The Quay of Ormond Upper).
Buses: 10 minutes' walk to all city centre services.
DART Station: 15 minutes' walk to Tara Street.
Car parking: in several nearby multi-storey car parks.
Length: 3.5 miles (5.6 kilometres).
Time: 1.5 hours.
Refreshments: Along the route there is no end of choice but, as you are following the trail of Leopold Bloom, include a visit to Davy Byrne's in Duke Street (where Bloom had a Gorgonzola cheese sandwich and a glass of Burgundy).
Pathway Status: Roadside footpaths.
Best Time to Visit: Any time during daylight hours but mornings might be more in keeping with the book. Of course, if you can actually do the walk on the 16th June you will have the company of legions of enthusiasts.
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