Blooms & Barnacles

Reuben J. Dodd

23 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How long can you hold a grudge?Topics in this episode include Mr. Power’s kept woman, hot 1904 gossip, rumpsteak, Reuben J. Dodd the Younger’s plu...

Henrik Ibsen

09 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Do you have the address of Henry Gibson?Kelly and Dermot welcome special guest Paul Ringo to Blooms & Barnacles. Topics include Joyce’s love of Henr...

Worst Man in Dublin

26 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Worst Man in Dublin.Topics in this episode include begrudgery, so much Dublin geography, mourning customs, buildings found on Great Brunswick (Pea...

Walking beside Molly in an Eton suit.

10 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What kind of person has a picnic party in a funeral carriage?Topics in this episode include a heartfelt thank you, cats that hate technology, the name...

A Fine Old Custom

14 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I’ll tickle his catastrophe, believe you me!Topics include Ulysses tarot cards, incubism, the system of correspondences found in Ulysses, Martin Cun...

As Decent a Little Man as Ever Wore a Hat

30 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Shakespeare is in the eye of the beholder.Topics in this episode include the real-world inspiration for Paddy’s Dignam’s funeral, Matthew Kane, th...

Hades

07 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The parallels between Bloom and Odysseus’ journeys to the Underworld.Topics include a summary of Chapter XI of The Odyssey, Bloom as sideways Odyss...

Bantams and Bathtubs

20 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

“Bantam” is an anagram of “Batman.” Coincidence?Topics include the state of Bantam Lyons’ hygiene, horseracing, Conway’s pub, cat wranglin...

Bloomsday 2022

28 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dermot and Kelly take to the streets of Dublin on Bloomsday 2022 with the goal to talk to as many people celebrating the occasion as possible. They ta...

Yes! Reflections of Molly Bloom (w/ Aedín Moloney)

21 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Kelly speaks with actress Aedín Moloney about playing Molly Bloom in her one-woman show, Yes! Reflections of Molly Bloom.Aedín Moloney:http://www.ae...

NIGHTTOWN (w/ Benjamin Wenzelberg)

08 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Blooms & Barnacles chat with composer Benjamin Wenzeberg about his new, Ulysses-inspired opera NIGHTTTOWN.Topics include adapting Ulysses for the stag...

Chemists rarely move.

18 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Is a bar of soap just a bar of soap?Topics in this episode include Leopold Bloom’s visit to Sweny’s Pharmacy, how often chemists move, Dublin geog...

How long since your last mass?

04 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Have you repented for the sin of reading this filthy book yet?Topics in this episode include the Spanish Inquisition, English v. Latin, the Leonine pr...

One Old Booser Worse than Another

21 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Why can’t we use Guinness instead of wine at Mass?Topics include Leopold Bloom’s thoughts on Communion wine, lots of lotuses, why wine must be use...

Iron Nails Ran In

21 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Give us this day our daily Bloom.Topics in this episode include: mazzoth, shewbread, matzo v. Communion wafer, what it feels like to consume the body ...

Eating Bits of a Corpse (w/ Russell Raphael)

05 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Is the Eucharist tantamount to cannibalism? Let’s ask Thomas Aquinas.Topics in this episode include: Fr. Conmee, Martin Cunningham, why Molly wasn’...

The Buddha in the Museum

22 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What did James Joyce think of Buddhism?Topics in this episode include: All Hallows or St. Andrew’s Church?, why Bloom hangs out in a church, the ver...

No rose without thorns.

11 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Did James Joyce once covertly suggest a new Guinness slogan?Topics in this episode include Mary Lost the Pin of her Drawers, flat Dublin voices, the C...

The Language of Flowers

19 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“Angry tulips with you darling manflower punish your cactus if you don’t please poor forgetmenot how I long violets to dear roses when we soon ane...

Martha

04 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Henry dear, do not deny my request before my patience are exhausted.In this episode, Kelly and Dermot try to figure out who Martha, Leopold Bloom’s ...

An Abode of Bliss

25 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Blooms’ household is anything but an abode of bliss.In this episode, topics include: Plumtree’s Potted Meat, Joyce’s love for advertising, t...

M'Coy. Get rid of him quickly.

07 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Leopold Bloom braves an awkward stop-and-chat.Topics in this episode include: Leopold Bloom’s encounter with M’Coy, what Bloom has in common with ...

Henry Flower, Esq

23 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Mr. Bloom runs a mysterious errand at the Westland Row Post Office.Topics include hidden lotuses, Corny Kelleher, Leopold Bloom’s missing hour, toor...

The Lotus Eaters

08 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We begin our foray into the languorous “Lotus Eaters” episode.Topics in this episode include how Kelly is like the Terminator, Odysseus and his cr...

Irish Orientalism

25 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We explore Leopold Bloom’s connection to the ancient Phoenicians.Topic covered in this episode include: social hierarchies in Ireland, Dubliners v. ...

Titbits

11 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Does Leopold Bloom seem a bit anal retentive to you?Content Warning: We talk an awful lot about poo in this one. If that’s not your cup of tea, use ...

Dearest Papli

28 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Is a picnic really just picnic?In this episode, Dermot and Kelly discuss Milly’s letter from Mullingar, those lovely seaside girls, Milly’s purpos...

Agendath Netaim

14 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Leopold Bloom contemplates the purchase of immense melonfields north of Jaffa.Topics covered in this episode include the Zionist movement of the early...

Bloomsday 2021

16 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Happy Bloomsday, one and all!Enjoy a selection of readings from Ulysses by our talented listeners from across the globe. It’s a Bloomsday bash you c...

Met Him Pike Hoses

03 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We do our best to take Molly’s advice and tell it in plain words - what is metempsychosis?Topics covered in this episode include Boylan’s bold han...

The Orientalism Episode

19 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Why is Leopold Bloom so captivated by the “mysterious East”?In this episode we discuss the Orientalist motif in Ulysses, with a focus on “Calyps...

The Ferreteyed Porkbutcher

05 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This gland is your gland; this gland is my gland.Bloom finally makes it to the butcher to buy his kidney! In this episode, we discuss the geography (o...

Potato I have.

21 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we’re talkin’ ‘bout ‘tatoes!Kelly and Dermot unpack the deeper symbolism behind Leopold Bloom’s idiosyncratic hobby of carrying a...

Old Tweedy's Big Moustaches

08 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Who was Molly Bloom’s father, Major Brian Cooper Tweedy? Far more than meets the eye.Topics in this episode include Michael Caine and Zulu, what the...

7 Eccles St.

24 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Organ meats: the breakfast of champions.In this episode, we cover the opening pages of Ulysses’ fourth episode, “Calypso.” Topics include who ea...

Calypso

10 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week we cover the parallels to “Calypso,” the fourth episode of James Joyce’s Ulysses and Book V of Homer’s Odyssey. Topics include how L...

Altman the Saltman (w/ Vincent Altman O'Connor)

24 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In our last episode, we discussed people from James Joyce’s life who influenced the creation of Leopold Bloom. However, we left one question unanswe...

Who Was the Real Leopold Bloom?

10 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

James Joyce based many characters in Ulysses on friends, family, acquaintances, and enemies, but what about Leopold Bloom? Who were the real people in...

The Holy Office

27 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

They both lived in a Martello Tower, sure, but what else do James Joyce and Bono have in common?We take a short break from analyzing Ulysses to take a...

Rere Regardant

13 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This episode’s passage comes from p. 50-51 in my edition of Ulysses (1990 Vintage International), and covers the passage beginning “Come. I thirst...

Barnacle Goose and Featherbed Mountain

30 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How exactly does God become a featherbed mountain? What the heck is a featherbed mountain? We answer these questions and more in this episode of Bloom...

Full fathom five thy father lies.

16 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The end is nigh.Kelly and Dermot discuss in the depth the drowning motif of “Proteus”. Other topics include The Tempest and Ariel’s Song, the wi...

Fourworded Wavespeech

02 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

**If you’re unfamiliar with the peeing Calvin decal (or if you are), here’s the story.The divine and the profane live side by side in Ulysses. In ...

Cranly's Arm

18 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Kelly helps Dermot remember why he drew James Joyce wearing red, killer heels. Topics include subtle Homeric correspondences, Dermot’s allegiance to...

What is that word known to all men?

05 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Kelly and Dermot take on a deceptively simple passage in “Proteus” as they attempt to answer that ultimate question - what is the word known to al...

The Virgin at Hodges Figgis' Window

21 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dermot and Kelly carry on discussing “Proteus” in their flutiest voices!Topics in this episode include: yet more discussion of the philosophy of t...

A Reign of Uncouth Stars

07 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Form of my form! Who watches me here?Kelly and Dermot wade into the final pages of “Proteus” to spend some time with old faves like Aristotle, Bis...

A Break for Jelly Donuts

23 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We're taking a week off! See you in October!

Omnis Caro Ad Te Veniet

09 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Kelly and Dermot discuss one of the most metal passages in all of Ulysses! You can find it at the end of “Proteus” beginning with “A side eye at...

The Birth of Ulysses (w/ Phil Holden)

26 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We welcome Phil Holden to the podcast to talk about the early publishing of history of Ulysses. Phil is a collector of early Ulysses editions, so he s...

O, My Dimber Wapping Dell

12 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

White thy fambles, Red thy gan!Wait, what?Find out what this phrase and much more means in this episode as we continue our discussion of "Proteus," th...

Haroun al-Raschid's Melons

29 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Kelly and Dermot take a look at Stephen Dedalus' prophetic dream in "Proteus." Topics discussed include James Joyce's fascination with dream analysis,...

Tatters

15 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Kelly and Dermot talk dogs, specifically Tatters, the dog encountered by Stephen on the strand at Sandymount. Topics include Joyce's belief that the d...

Paradise of Pretenders

01 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Sweny's Patreon helps keep this marvelous Dublin landmark alive. Please subscribe!On the Blog:Decoding Dedalus: PretendersDogsbodySocial Media:Facebo...

Bloomsday 2020 Supplement

22 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Enjoy a late submission for our Bloomsday episode! Check out the full episode here.

Bloomsday 2020

16 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Sweny's Patreon helps keep this marvelous Dublin landmark alive. Please subscribe!Social Media:Facebook|TwitterSubscribe to Blooms & Barnacles:iTunes...

Galleys of the Lochlanns

03 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Kelly and Dermot set sail for the time of Vikings and jerkiness dwarfs! They discuss the differences of similarly-shaped seafaring vessels, Lochlanns,...

Panthersahib and Pointer

20 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

**Now accepting submissions for our Bloomsday 2020 episode. ** Sweny's Patreon helps keep this marvelous Dublin landmark alive. Please subscribe! O...

Under the Walls of Clerkenwell

06 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dermot and Kelly take on some of the history behind the tale of Irish exile Kevin Egan. This episode's discussion covers the story of the 1867 Clerken...

Froggreen Wormwood

22 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Images of early morning Paris through the ineluctable modality of Stephen Dedalus' memory, smells of incense and absinthe. We discuss Stephen's life a...

Boul' Mich'

08 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Bon soir, mes amis, et bienvenue a Blooms et Barnacles! Kelly and Dermot discuss Joyce's disastrous sojourn to Paris as a youth and its parallels to S...

C'est le pigeon, Joseph.

25 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Stephen Dedalus learns the value of gentlemanly blasphemy in this episode of Blooms & Barnacles. Our hero evades the nets of his oppressors while ...

Pico della Mirandola like.

12 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This episode of Blooms & Barnacles takes an esoteric twist as we continue deeper into "Proteus", Ulysses' third episode. Topics include:...

Who is this Dan Occam fellow, anyway?

27 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dermot and Kelly tickle your brain with Stephen Dedalus' thoughts on the Eucharist, William of Occam, hypostasis, consubstantiation, transubstantiatio...

The Complex Life of Lucia Joyce- (w/Linus Ignatius & Llewie Nuñez)

13 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Linus Ignatius and Llewie Nuñez starred in the play Lucia Mad as James and Lucia Joyce, respectively, back in their university days. They drop by the...

The Hundredheaded Rabble

30 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Join Kelly and Dermot for a story about James Joyce's youthful rebellion against the literary establishment of Dublin, his obsession with the apocalyp...

Translating Finnegans Wake into Japanese (w/ Kenji Hayakawa)

15 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Kelly and Dermot are joined by translator Kenji Hayakawa to discuss the gargantuan task of translating Finnegans Wake into Japanese.  We discuss Naok...

Nuncle Richie

01 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Stephen contemplates the horror of a visit to his Aunt Sara and Uncle Richie's house. We discuss parallels in this scene with Joyce's real life aunt a...

James Joyce Tower and Museum

21 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Dermot and Kelly get an insider's view of the Sandycove Martello Tower - the Omphalos of Dublin itself! Maggie Fitzgerald, James Holohan and Andrew Ba...

Contransmagnificandjewbangtantiality

04 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Let's have fun with consubstantiality! Kelly and Dermot untangle Stephen Dedalus' thoughts on the dual nature of God the Father and God the Son, the N...

Sweny's Pharmacy Revisited (w/ P.J. Murphy & Jack Walsh)

20 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Blooms & Barnacles catches up with P.J. Murphy and Jack Walsh of Sweny's Pharmacy in Dublin, the location where Leopold Bloom bought his lemon soa...

Gaze in Your Omphalos

06 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In this installment of Blooms & Barnacles, Kelly and Dermot engage in some good, old-fashioned navel gazing. Discussion topics include working cla...

Dermot O'Connor

23 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ineluctable modality of the animated! Get to know your favorite Irish host of Blooms and Barnacles - Dermot O Connor. Kelly and Dermot talk about his ...

Nacheinander and Nebeneinander

10 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Real talk: why are there no seagulls on Sandymount Strand on Bloomsday? Have we stumbled onto a historical seagull-based conspiracy? Stay tuned to fin...

Ineluctable Modalities

25 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ineluctable modality of the podcast! A discussion of the first paragraph of "Proteus," in which Kelly and Dermot try to make sense of Stephe...

Proteus

11 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The time has come for Blooms & Barnacles to tackle Ulysses' third episode - "Proteus"! This is Ulysses' first "difficult" epis...

A Shout in the Street

26 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Blooms and Barnacles' series on Mr. Deasy and "Nestor" comes to a close with a discussion of the old headmaster's biased views of women's ne...

The Nightmare of History

15 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Kelly and Dermot deconstruct the nightmare of history shared by the Irish and the Jews alike. We further explore the intricacies of Mr. Deasy's bigotr...

Perviest Breakfast

01 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Per vias rectas! Mr. Deasy's origins - revealed! Kelly and Dermot dive into Joyce's real life acquaintances and experiences that inspired the gruff he...

Croppies Lie Down

18 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Kelly and Dermot explain the nightmarish history tucked into Stephen's terse rebuttal of Mr. Deasy's weak grasp of Irish history. The passa...

Big Words Which Make Us So Unhappy

03 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

History is the art of Nestor, so let's immerse ourselves in the nightmare of history, at least the bits covered on  p. 31 of Ulysses. Learn about Ste...

Fogey and Tory

19 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A character study of the infamous Mr. Deasy, the headmaster of Stephen's school in "Nestor," the second episode of Ulysses. We discuss how M...

Bloomsday in Melbourne (w/ Steve Carey)

05 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A lifelong lover of the works of Joyce, Steve Carey is an organizer of the Bloomsday celebration in Melbourne, Australia. He chats with Kelly about (b...

Averroes and Moses Maimonides

22 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Kelly and Dermot tackle the reference to Averroes and Maimonides in "Nestor." Not only does this episode cover these two philosophers and th...

Dick Feeney

08 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A super-sized Blooms and Barnacles! Dick is a friend of Kelly's and Dermot's who is a lover of Ulysses and the music found throughout the novel. Dick ...

Begrudgery

24 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

While begrudge as a verb exists throughout the English speaking world, begrudgery as a noun is peculiar to Ireland. Dermot and Kelly discuss what make...

A Fox Burying His Grandmother

10 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Dermot and Kelly take on a point of vexation and consternation for any Ulysses fan: what the actual heck does Stephen's riddle mean? What symbolism li...

The Nostalgia Trap (w/ Tom O'Leary)

27 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Kelly and Dermot welcome Tom O'Leary back to the podcast to talk about the allure of nostalgia. Tom and Dermot talk about what it's actually like to b...

Wings of Excess

13 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

"One more victory like that and we're done for." Kelly and Dermot discuss the ancient Greek warrior king Pyrrhus and his relation to the exc...

Kelly Bryan

27 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On a Very Special Episode of the Blooms & Barnacles podcast - it's Dermot's first time leading an episode. He chose to interview his co-host and f...

Nestor

13 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Episode 10, our first episode covering episode two of Ulysses, "Nestor." Kelly and Dermot discuss the political philosophy of Gia...

Remorse of Conscience

30 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Kelly and Dermot discuss the recurring phrase "Agenbite of Inwit" and why Stephen repeats it over and over on June the sixteenth. Other topi...

Heresiarchs

16 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Kelly and Dermot get deep talking about arch heresies, alchemy, Buck Mulligan's blasphemy, James Joyce's love of sacred music,  and what the Council ...

In Defense of Dorkiness

28 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Kelly and Dermot discuss Stephen's tower-mate, the Englishman Haines. Haines was based on a real-life roommate of James Joyce's - Dermot Chenevix Tren...

Tea for the Tower-Men

13 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Kelly and Dermot talk about the allegory of the old milk woman who visits Stephen and the boys in the Martello Tower. Topics covered include Hiberno-E...

Sweny's Pharmacy

29 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Kelly and Dermot sit down with P.J. Murphy and Jack Walsh, two volunteers who are keeping the legacy of Sweny's Pharmacy alive.  Sweny's, of course, ...

Introibo Ad Altare Dei

15 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Kelly and Dermot talk about page #1 of Ulysses, taking a deep dive into the symbolism of the Catholic Mass in the opening scene. There's lots of talk ...

Joyce v. Gogarty

24 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we tackle the falling out between James Joyce and Oliver St John Gogarty, the origins of the character Buck Mulligan, what really happ...

Ulysses & The Odyssey: Telemachus!

24 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Dermot and Kelly discuss the connections between Ulysses and The Odyssey. We take on the Gilbert schema, how to market a book like Ulysses, what exact...

Tom O'Leary

24 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Tom O'Leary is an Irish-born actor and pub owner living in Portland, OR. He and Blooms and Barnacles host Kelly started the Ulysses Support Group (aka...