Performance

21 February 2025 at 6.30pm

The James Joyce Centre on Friday, February 21st at 6.30pm welcomed another delightful performance of 18 Ballads from James Joyce’s Ulysses by Val O’Donnell.

This collection of new ballads, based on characters featured in James Joyce’s masterpiece Ulysses, was published in 2024. The collection consists of eighteen ballads written by Val O’Donnell and set to airs of music which are referred to in Ulysses or in other works of James Joyce. The collection includes short quotes from Ulysses, a note on the music and suggestions for accessing the original sheet music and performances of the airs chosen for the ballads.

After an inaugural performance on October 8th 2024, the James Joyce Centre was honoured to host another.

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 around Bloomsday. Val has a lifelong interest in music and plays piano. Email him at [email protected].

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