Anthony Cronin, John Ryan and Patrick Kavanagh at the Martello Tower, Sandycove , marking the first Bloomsday (National Library of Ireland)
The first Bloomsday in 1954 is the stuff of Dublin legend. Flann O’Brien and Patrick Kavanagh paid drunken homage to the masterpiece of Joyce, joined by an array of characters including the publican and artist John Ryan, Anthony Cronin and Tom Joyce. Tom was a dentist, but crucially he was also a relative of the more famous Joyce. The plan was to travel the city in horsecabs, following the journey of Leopold Bloom.
Despite the good intentions of the group, the entire thing was abandoned for a session at The Bailey, a public house that was conveniently owned by Ryan. Interestingly, The Bailey was once been the home of the front door of No.7 Eccles Street, the address of Leopold Bloom in the work. Ryan had the good sense to save this door at the time major construction was taking place on Eccles Street for further development of the Mater Hospital, and he placed the door inside of his pub. Today, it is on view in the James Joyce Centre.
This brilliant video footage was posted to YouTube recently by artfarrago· It shows Flann O’Brien in particular looking well on his way, but it is perhaps the sight of literary talent pissing against the wall at Sandymount Strand that will interest readers!
Click on the book for more.
Click on the book for more.
Donal
Ciarán
Sam
Come Here To Me! 
That is amazing, I’d never seen that before, and had no idea it existed.
Half funny half sad: to see the state of Flann O’Brien,/Brian Nolan. But more sad really: Man was a genius, comic and literary hero. Not so good to see him drinking himself into a stupor, and towards an early grave.
Great to think Anthony Cronin still with us, (as far as I know anyway, just saw him at the Flat Lakes Literary Fest up in Monaghan summer before last) Interesting to see john Ryan too, just recently read his great book, “Remembering how we Stood”.
Incredible bit of film though, thank you. Fair play. Do you mind if I re-post this or re-blog this, or whatever its called?
Go for it, thanks for comment.
I wonder is that Goggins of Monkstown at the start of the video?
Great piece of archive film but (as Arran says) a little sad to watch.
Lovely to see this. It was my dad helming the Super 8. There’s always one…
Couldn’t resist this
Brilliant but sad as well. Thanks for this.
[…] “a group of people who observe what they call Bloom’s day—June 16”). In 1954 a group that included two Irish writers (novelist Flann O’Brien and poet Patrick Kavanagh) […]
It’s not sad at all. It’s just a bunch of fellas having an afternoon out. They happen to be remarkable men. You can be great and ordinary too. I wonder sometimes what we expect from people. This is them on a good day. Let’s enjoy that.