[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 90 (Wednesday, June 16, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1118]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                THE SYRACUSE JAMES JOYCE CLUB/BLOOMSDAY

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                         HON. DANIEL B. MAFFEI

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 16, 2010

  Mr. MAFFEI. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Syracuse James 
Joyce Club's celebration of the 17th annual Bloomsday. Bloomsday is the 
day people from around the world celebrate the life of Irish author 
James Joyce and his novel Ulysses, which is heralded as one of the 
greatest novels of the 20th century.
  Ulysses chronicles the day the main character, Leopold Bloom travels 
into Dublin on June 16. This date had special meaning for Joyce. It was 
also the first date with his future wife Nora Barnacle. For these 
reasons, June 16 was marked as the special day Joyce's life and 
literary work, Ulysses would be celebrated.
  The first Bloomsday was organized in 1954 by critic, John Ryan, and 
author, Flann O'Brien. The day was named after Leopold Bloom in 
Ulysses. Ryan and O'Brien organized a day long pilgrimage along the 
Ulysses route. They planned a day to travel through the city, visiting 
the scenes from the novel. The night ended in what had once been called 
the brothel quarter of the city, the area which Joyce had called 
Nighttown.
  Born in Dublin, on February 2, 1882, Joyce was the son of John 
Stanislaus Joyce and Mary Jane Murray. Joyce's father struggled as a 
businessman and his mother was an accomplished pianist. Joyce grew up 
in poverty, and his family struggled to maintain a solid middle-class 
lifestyle. From the age of six, Joyce was educated by Jesuits at 
Clongoowes Wood College then Belvedere College in Dublin.
  It was in college that Joyce blossomed as a writer. His first 
published work was an essay on Isben's play When We Dead Awaken. Joyce 
went on to write several other works that sealed his place in writing 
history.
  I am proud that the Syracuse James Joyce Club continues to keep the 
life and work of Joyce alive. It is important that we remember the 
contributions he has made to literary history. I am pleased that the 
Syracuse James Joyce Club will gather people from the community today 
to share their favorite excerpts from Joyce's works.
  The Bloomsday celebration attracts over 300 people and is part of the 
CNY Chapter of the Irish American Cultural Institute. I commend the 
Syracuse James Joyce Club for keeping the legacy of one of the 20th 
century's greatest writers alive.

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