Irish community hosts Bloomsday celebration

Peter Ryan

A Bloomsday reception was held at the Macau Military Club last night, where aside from presentations of the latest developments in the Irish community of Macau, the life and works of Irish writer James Joyce was celebrated.
The event drew a total of around 80 to 90 attendees according to organizers, including members of the Trinity College Dublin Chapel Choir, who had arrived in the city to perform at the conclusion to last night’s activities.
Bloomsday is a celebration and commemoration of the novel “Ulysses” by iconic Irish writer James Joyce. It chronicles the story of Leopold Bloom, who is both the protagonist and “anti-hero” in the story, according to the Consul General of Ireland to Hong Kong and Macau, Peter Ryan.
“The whole book takes place on a single day, June 16, 1904, in Dublin, where [in some sense] the whole of Bloom’s life is packed into a single day,” explained Ryan. “So on this day we celebrate with readings [from the novel], eating some of the food that Bloom ate and trying to recreate parts of his day.”
Ryan explained that recreating the day, as part of the celebrations, is an important way to improve accessibility of the story, especially for young people. The novel is notorious for being difficult to read, and “people often dip in and out of it,” explained Ryan.
Highlighting the significance of the book to Ireland’s culture, Ryan said: “They say that, if Dublin was destroyed [suddenly], it could be rebuilt based on the detail and descriptions in the book.”
Last night’s event was the latest in a series of recent activities organized by the Irish Consulate General and the Chamber of Commerce. In March, a Saint Patrick’s Day parade was held in the MSAR for the first time drawing the attendance of the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Críona Ní Dhálaigh. On the preceding night the Ruins of St. Paul’s Cathedral in Macau, along with many iconic buildings and structures around the world, were illuminated in green.
Asked whether the latest event is part of a larger campaign to increase the presence of Irish culture in Macau, Ryan said: “We just want to make more friends here. More friends of Ireland in Macau and more friends of Macau in Ireland.”
“We have a lot of catching up to do in Macau, because for so long we didn’t have an office here,” added the Consul General, who is the first of his kind to represent Ireland in the Special Administrative Regions.
The Trinity College Dublin Chapel Choir, which visited Macau to perform at the Bloomsday reception, also attended a meeting with students at the Matteo Ricci College earlier yesterday.
“We want to show off the musical pieces related to Joyce,” said choir member Eimear Sparks, “and also to show that there is more to Ireland than the stereotypes that are often associated with it.”
“The students at Macau Ricci were more interested in music in general and how to fit it into their schedules, than learning about Irish culture,” she admitted, but added that the reception at the school had been positive.
Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Alexis Tam was also present at the event and explained to the choir members Macau’s historical purpose as a link between East and West.
“Macau is a place which links the West with Chinese culture,” said Tam. “The people of Macau are happy to receive and meet people from around the world. We hope that you come back soon and perhaps next time we can visit you [in Ireland].”
Tam and representatives of the choir exchanged gifts before the performance. “In my official role as the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, I want to enhance this kind of exchange,” added Tam. “I think we can do more of it in the future.”
Separately, a children’s art contest was held in the MSAR, inviting the participation of local school children that were tasked with incorporating the Irish national figure of Saint Patrick into a Macau setting.
According to Niall Murray, Chairman of the Irish Chamber of Commerce of Macau, over 2,000 entries were submitted, of which nine distinguished students were awarded during last night’s festivities.