Bloomsday Belles to enchant audiences in Dundalk

This Culture Night, Dundalk audiences are invited to experience Bloomsday Belles, a new multidisciplinary performance inspired by the women of James Joyce’s Ulysses. 

Commissioned in 2025 by The Joyce Tower Museum and The James Joyce Centre, the work has already captivated audiences at both venues during last year’s Bloomsday Festival, earning standing ovations and praise for its “hauntingly beautiful music.”

Created and composed by acclaimed musician Emer Kenny, Bloomsday Belles blends original music, classical harp, spoken word, and contemporary dance. Dublin poet Mikey Cullen performs selected excerpts from Ulysses, while award-winning concert harpist Rosie Murphy brings Molly Bloom’s youth and heritage to life with De Falla’s Spanish Dance. 

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Ukrainian contemporary dancer Polina Skarha interprets the music and text through movement, echoing the life of Joyce’s daughter, Lucia. The performance also features a harp cadenza from Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, reflecting both Molly’s classical singing career and Joyce’s operatic passions, with chimes and church bells punctuating the narrative.

Bloomsday Belles will be performed on Culture Night, 19th September, at 4pm in the Dundalk Library Museum Courtyard and again at 8pm in An Táin Theatre. 

Audiences can expect a rich fusion of music, literature, and dance that celebrates Joyce’s timeless characters while offering a fresh, contemporary perspective.