Hundreds of people have gathered in Dublin today to celebrate Bloomsday, the annual event dedicated to the lead character in James Joyce's Ulysses.
Bloomsday re-enacts the epic journey through the capital undertaken by Leopold Bloom on June 16th 1904.
It is traditional to dress up and go out around Dublin on Bloomsday, visiting the locations featured in the book and taking part in readings, walks and activities associated with Ulysses.
Now a week-long festival, Bloomsday 2008 got underway last Monday and ends today with a number of events taking place in the city centre and south Dublin.
Among the events taking place today are theatrical readings by Senator David Norris, performances from the musical Himself and Nora, a Joycean bike ride and a number of walking tours throughout the city.
The day began with the annual Bloomsday breakfast in the James Joyce Centre on North Great George's Street in Dublin.
Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism Martin Cullen, who attended the breakfast before launching a programme of Bloomsday readings at the James Joyce Centre this morning, said the event had proven increasingly popular in recent years.
“Bloomsday has caught the public and literary imagination and has become a day on which fans of James Joyce celebrate the man and his unique skill as a wordsmith. Bloomsday has grown into a significant event for our capital.
"Visitors from a myriad of nations travel to Dublin to participate in the Bloomsday Festival; they come to walk the streets like Leopold Bloom and Stephen Dedalus. For many people, Dublin is Joyce,” said Mr Cullen.
Bloomsday is also being celebrated in Galway today with readings taking place at the Nora Barnacle’s House Museum.
