6 February 2026 at 6.30pm

The James Joyce Centre was delighted to host the premiere of 18 More Ballads after James Joyce’s Ulysses Volume II by Val O’Donnell on Friday, 6th February at 6.30pm.

Adding to the success of his 2024 18 Ballads from James Joyce’s Ulysses, Val is at it again with 18 more vibrant, playful and engrossing ballads set to airs of music referred to in Ulysses and Joyce’s other work. It includes short quotes from Joyce’s work, a note on the music and suggestions for accessing the original sheet music and performances of the airs chosen for the ballads.

Although there are about 700 songs referenced in Ulysses, only a few songs are actually performed by the characters. Only one of the episodes – ‘Sirens,’ which is set in the saloon bar of the old Ormond Hotel – is the setting for an informal afternoon concert. Even then, we only hear snatches of the music being sung. Val thought it would be a good idea to give a musical voice to some of the characters and to set their ballads to music associated with Joyce.

After the inaugural performance in 2024 and another in 2025, the James Joyce Centre was honoured to host the third.

Copies of 18 More Ballads are on sale in our giftshop and are available for shipping. The book was published by Printwell Books.

Our special thanks to Val, Sinéad Murphy, Joe Ryder, Andrew Basquille and Darina Gallgher for their wonderful performances.

About Val
Val O’Donnell has a connection with the theatre for over 50 years as an actor, director and adaptor of Irish literature.

In 2011, Val established The JoyceStagers Theatre Company to perform his adaptations from the works of James Joyce. The JoyceStagers have performed “The Funeral of Paddy Dignam,” adapted by Val from the 6th episode of Ulysses, annually on Bloomsday at Glasnevin Cemetary. They have also performed his adaptations from Episodes 8, 12, and 16 at various locations in Dublin during the Bloomsday Festival. Val has a lifelong interest in music and plays piano. Email him at donnellvalo@gmail.com.

The James Joyce Centre is supported by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport.

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22 November 2025 at 7pm

Through music, poetry, and storytelling, The Poetry Stroll brought to life the history and literary landmarks of Dublin on Saturday, 22nd November 2025 at 7pm.

After a year of tracing the footsteps of James Joyce, Leopold Bloom, Cashel Boyle O’Connor Fitzmaurice Tisdall Farrell — and many others — around Sweny’s Pharmacy, Merrion Square Park, and Finn’s Hotel, the songs and verses performed during The Poetry Stroll have been gathered on an album: Lotus Eater: Songs & Verses.

This launch concert at the James Joyce Centre brought Joycean songs, poetry set to music, and a few original pieces into the bargain — by singer-songwriter Remco Jacobs, a.k.a. Lotus Eater.

The James Joyce Centre is supported by the Department of Culture, Communication and Sport.

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17 April 2025 at 7.30pm

We were happy to host Anna Livia Creative for a special evening of poetry and music by the great Spanish poet and playwright Federico García Lorca on Thursday, April 17th at 7.30pm.

The beautiful Spanish folksongs of Lorca were performed by renowned soprano Elizabeth Hilliard and Ireland’s leading classical guitarist and composer Benjamin Dwyer. Irish actor and spoken word artist Nicole Rourke recited some of Lorca’s most iconic poems in English. Monica Galindo of the James Joyce Centre recited some of his poems in Spanish. We heard the exciting rhythms and colours of some of Lorca’s finest poems in Spanish narrated by Andalucian journalist Antonio de Linares.

The James Joyce Centre is supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

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3 March 2025 at 7.30pm

The James Joyce Centre in association with Anna Livia Creative hosted a celebratory concert of composer Frank Corcoran on Monday, March 3rd at 7.30pm. The concert featured the composer and classical guitarist Benjamin Dwyer, and the leading Irish cellist Paul Grennan. Irish composer John Buckley offered an appreciation of Corcoran’s extraordinary life and work. Corcoran joined actress Nicole Rourke as narrators of a number of Corcoran’s delightful poems. The concert also featured a number of works inspired by James Joyce.

Programme
Frank Corcoran: Three Pieces for Guitar (1975)
Frank Corcoran: Snap-shot (2010, for cello)
Frank Corcoran: Seven Points about Joyce as an Irish Composer (a text narrated by Frank Corcoran)
Frank Corcoran: Joyceana (2015, for cello)
Georg Hajdu: To Market Music (2024, for guitar & narrator; text by Frank Corcoran) Frank Corcoran & Nicole Rourke narrating. Irish Premiere.
Frank Corcoran: ‘Agnus Dei’ from Quasi Una Missa (1999, for tape)
Benjamin Dwyer: Sing the Word Only (2024, for guitar & narrator; text by Frank Corcoran) Frank Corcoran narrating. Irish Premiere.

Featuring
Composer Frank Corcoran
Guitarist-Composer Benjamin Dwyer
Cellist Paul Grennan
Actor Nicole Rourke
Composer John Buckley

The James Joyce Centre is supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

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25 January 2025 at 2.30pm

The James Joyce Centre was proud to present a lunchtime performance by Poems Ago on Saturday, January 25th at 2.30pm.

Folk duo Poems Ago perform original songs and poetry put to music. At the James Joyce Centre they will present a concert in which they explore the theme ‘Home’: Interweaving the writings by James Joyce with their own experiences of moving and living abroad and coming back home. Join us for an afternoon of acoustic music and poetry inspired by the works of Joyce, W.B. Yeats, Robert Burns, and more.

Poems Ago are Juliana Hahn on vocals, violin and keyboard and Remco Jacobs on vocals and guitar. More information about Poems Ago can be found on their website https://www.poemsago.com/.

The James Joyce Centre is supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

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25 January 2025 at 2.30pm

The James Joyce Centre is proud to present a lunchtime performance by Poems Ago on Saturday, January 25th at 2.30pm.

Folk duo Poems Ago perform original songs and poetry put to music. At the James Joyce Centre they will present a concert in which they explore the theme ‘Home’: Interweaving the writings by James Joyce with their own experiences of moving and living abroad and coming back home. Join us for an afternoon of acoustic music and poetry.

Poems Ago are Juliana Hahn on vocals, violin and keyboard and Remco Jacobs on vocals and guitar. More information about Poems Ago can be found on their website https://www.poemsago.com/.

Tickets are €10 and can be purchased here.

The James Joyce Centre is supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

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29 November 2024 at 7.30pm

The James Joyce Centre hosted a special musical performance from Ruby Mae and Ewan Shiels on Friday, 29 November 2024 at 7.30pm.

Ruby Mae Shiels and her father Ewan have been playing music together professionally since she joined the family band in her early teens, initially as guitarist and eventually as multi-instrumentalist and harmony vocalist. The recent format as a duo came about as a means to showcase their repertoire of original compositions for fretted instruments as well as renditions of pieces from the myriad genres that have influenced them. Currently preparing their first album of original tunes as a two-piece, live audiences can expect a dynamic visceral performance from these seasoned veterans of the stage with lashings of virtuosity, humour and twisted poetry, not to mention the hot moves and crowd participation!

Ruby Mae Shiels: After a typically chaotic show business upbringing, Ruby began playing concerts with her parents while barely into her teens. Her prodigious skills as a multi-instrumentalist and singer/performer soon earned her an international reputation. She currently can be heard/seen in The Shiels (the family trio with her parents), The Village Vandals (the experimental rural hip hop duo) and as a solo performer.

Ewan Shiels: Began performing at 10 years as the straight man in his older brother’s Punch & Judy Show. He has since worked in theatre, films and television both as actor and composer as well as numerous bizarre music formations.

The James Joyce Centre is supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

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8 June 2024 at 8pm in Christchurch Cathedral

The James Joyce Centre was delighted to endorse the Wroclaw Baroque Ensemble’s marvalous concert at Christchurch Cathedral on 8 June 2024 at 8pm.

During this, people embarked on a journey to timeless beauty with the exquisite works of Mikołaj Zieleński, transporting you to 17th century Venice, where his music captivates the soul with its depth and richness. An enchanting evening as we journeyed through Zieleński’s “Offertoria et Communiones,” a breathtaking collection of compositions published in 1611. From Zieleński’s extensive repertoire of 113 surviving works, the Emsemble carefully selected pieces to craft a captivating narrative steeped in the rich tapestry of salvation history. Let yourself be transported through the ages with texts inspired by the grandeur of Old Testament tales, the poignant narratives of the Gospels.

An unforgettable evening of musical mastery, where Zieleński’s compositions proudly stand alongside those of the greatest masters of the era. Don’t miss this extraordinary celebration of classical music brought to you by the Wroclaw Baroque Ensemble, under direction of ndrzej Kosendiak, renowned for their expertise in period instruments.

Mutliple awards winning Wroclaw Baroque Ensamble specializes in historical performance, uncovering lesser-known repertoire from Central Europe, particularly Polish Renaissance and Baroque music. Founded in 2012 by Andrzej Kosendiak, the ensamble operates under his artistic direction at the National Forum of Music in Wrocław. Comprising exceptional instrumentalists and vocalists from Poland, the Czech Republic, Great Britain, and Germany, the group has a rich recording history. Their albums, featuring works by Polish baroque composers, are available on Spotify and distributed worldwide by Naxos. The ensemble has graced major international festivals and performed across Poland and Europe.

The project is generously funded by the Arts Council, and the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.

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