Was Leopold Bloom ever totally radical? Topics in this episode include Bloom’s memory of a protest, Bloom’s view of the police, the significance of soup imagery, the origins of the Boer War, Irish Nationalist opposition to the Boer War, Joseph Chamberlain, Christiaan de Wet, the irony of Irish Nationalist support for the Boer cause, a French depict…

We discuss the Dubliners story, “Ivy Day in the Committee Room" To listen to the full episode, please visit patreon.com/barnaclecastBy Kelly Bryan

The constables have been let out to graze. Topics in this episode include: 1904 popular culture, James Carlyle and the Irish Times, foxhunting, horsey people, Leopold Bloom’s disdain for high class women, The Irish Field, a personal ad from the 1870’s, Mrs Miriam Dandrade, the Purefoys, Fletcherism, the Chew-Chew Method, fad diets of yore, munching…

“Everybody who met her liked her - because she was warm and outgoing. Here I am saying good things about Lizzie. Poor Liz - nobody remembers her now.” - Padraic Colum, 1969 This episode features an interview with scholar Elizabeth Foley O’Connor about Irish poet Lizzie Twigg, her legacy as a poet, her brief mention in Ulysses, how she fell under Ja…

“Dubliners were proud of Endymion. They were proud that they tolerated Endymion, but also that he tolerated them. Most people watched him and remembered him with affection, and only a few were aware of the darker side to some of his mutterings.” - John Simpson Support us on Patreon to access episodes early, bonus content, and a video version of our…

As we gear up for Paris 2024, host Lizzie Boyle takes you back in time to tell the story of biathlon at the Olympics, from Military Patrol in 1924, through the debuts of men's, para and women's events, before a watch-along commentary on the incredible Men's Mass Start from Sochi 2014. The video for this episode is at https://tinyurl.com/massstart20…

We discuss Dubliners stories “A Painful Case” and “A Mother” Listen to the full episode at patreon.com/barnaclecastBy Kelly Bryan

Inside the madness of Breen Topics in this episode include deep Ulysses lore, nostalgia traps, Molly’s suitors, the Glencree dinner, Old Professor Goodwin, Mr. and Mrs. Breen, U.p: up, the Ace of Spades, Breen’s postcard as an empty threat, an old forgotten expression, word play, hidden meanings, codes, peeing up and cloacal obsessions, Larry David…

Rashers Tierney would have gotten those Hely’s Sandwichmen into shape. Plus, his name is thematically apt. Topics in this episode include memories of life in 1960’s Dublin, Leopold Bloom’s philosophy of advertising, whether or not a nun invented barbed wire, the intersection of religion, advertising and potted meat, the rite of Melchisedek, open-fa…

We discuss Dubliners stories “Counterparts” and “Clay” Listen to the full episode at patreon.com/barnaclecastBy Kelly Bryan

We discuss James Plunkett’s 1969 novel, Strumpet City and the 1980 mini-series of the same name.By Kelly Bryan

If both clocks were correct, one would be redundant. Topics in this episode include the Ballast Office, the timeball, stellar parallax, ships’ navigators and chronometers, the whereabouts of the timeball, the political controversy of Greenwich Mean Time, Dunsink time, Sir Robert Ball and The Story of the Heavens, what the heck parallax actually mea…

We share our thoughts on Dubliners short stories "The Boarding House" and "A Little Cloud" Listen to the full episode at patreon.com/barnaclecastBy Kelly Bryan

What is the parallax of Aldebaran? Topics in this episode include gulls, Simon Dedalus, Little Chandler, Leopold Bloom’s poetic impulse, Leopold Bloom’s philosophy of advertising, the secret ingredient in Epps’ Cocoa, the supremacy of Kino’s 11/- Trousers over Plumtree’s Potted Meat, Victorian advertising styles, Howard Bridgewater’s theory of adve…

Why do we remember some things and forget others? In this episode, Lizzie Boyle wanders through the halls of the mind, exploring how we form, store and retrieve memories and visiting philosophy, pyschology and literature. All to set the scene for a review of Germany's World Cup Biathlon season because, basically, she forgot to mention them last tim…

Sunday! Sunday! Sunday! Elijah is Coming!!! Topics in this episode include epiphanies in Dubliners, the transformative power of peristalsis, Leopold Bloom and the Prophet Elijah, the peculiar tale of John Alexander Dowie, God’s bloodlust, the also peculiar history of the Salvation Army, what religion and advertising have in common, phosphorescence,…

Who’s for dinner? Topics in this episode include revisiting Ulysses-themed tarot, Odysseus’ encounter with the Lestrygonians, being in Leopold Bloom’s head once more, the Homeric parallels found in Ulysses’ eighth episode, the dangers of being too hangry, translating The Odyssey into French, anthropomorphic geography, trophomorphism, the intersecti…

Listen to the full episode now at patreon.com/barnaclecastBy Kelly Bryan

It's the end of the Biathlon World Cup season which means a chance to look back at the racing from Soldier Hollow and Canmore and host Lizzie Boyle's A to Z of the whole season. We'll also meet an intrepid British explorer of the 19th century and try to solve the mystery of The Man With Three Names... You can download a transcript of thi…

Nelson supposes his toeses are roses, but Nelson supposes erroneously. Topics in this episode include Barcelona, revisiting James Joyce’s Guinness ad, the history of Nelson’s pillar, Horatio Nelson, the final resting place of Nelson’s head, possible replacements for Nelson atop the former pillar, failed attempts to raise the wind, A Pisgah Sight of…

In this episode, host Lizzie Boyle walks through some of the darker pathways of sports to try to understand why bad things happen and how to prevent them in future. It's not all bad though: we also look back on the racing in Oslo and ahead to a busy week, with the Biathlon World Cup in Soldier Hollow, Utah and the Para Biathlon World Championships …

Wow! What a World Championships we had! In this episode, host Lizzie Boyle looks back on the racing at Nove Mesto, explores what makes a hero, celebrates some of the hidden stars of NMNM24 and also references Tolkien, James Joyce and Cool Runnings. It's a journey... You can find a transcript of this podcast at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1InRuT…

We share our thoughts on Dubliners short stories "Araby" and "Eveline" Listen to the full episode at patreon.com/barnaclecastBy Kelly Bryan

What if we held hands in the Akasic Record? Topics in this episode include too much information about the Freemasons, entering the Promised Land, Daniel O'Connell's mass meeting at Mullaghmast, political radicalism, the Akasic Record, Stephen's magic powers, rebutting John F. Taylor, Parnell's parliamentary finesse, argumentum ad pasiones, leaning …

In this episode, host Lizzie Boyle looks back at the racing in Antholz and ahead to the Biathlon World Championships in Nove Mesto. She also explores the strange world of the humble ski boot, with detours to Santa's elves, Argentinian meteorites and a very very old man indeed... You can download a transcript of this episode, including links to all …

Featuring a surprise historical cameo! Topics in this episode include our final example of Aristotelian rhetoric, the only passage of Ulysses recorded by James Joyce, the battle of wits between Mr. Justice Fitzgibbon and John F. Taylor, misperceptions about Taylor’s oratory, the Gaelic Revival, Dreamy Jimmy, ferial tone, a Moses for Ireland, MacHug…

We share our thoughts on the Dubliners short stories "The Sisters" and "An Encounter" Hear and watch the full episode at patreon.com/barnaclecastBy Kelly Bryan

“Speaking about me. What did he say? What did he say? What did he say about me? Don’t ask.” Topics in this episode include a rumor about Stephen, Professor Magennis, Æ the mastermystic, drama within Dublin’s occult circles, how Æ helped James Joyce get published, the opal hush poets, Joycean tarot cards, D.P. Moran and The Leader, the horror of a t…

In this episode, we explore the impact of time - and age - on the human body and ask: what's the peak age for biathletes? When do they get faster or slower? How old do you have to be to perfect a standing shoot? We also check in with 90 year old William Shatner and meet a very unusual lunar explorer... You can read a transcript of this episode at h…

What could we talk about after Oberhof other than the awesomeness of French women? This episode, your host Lizzie Boyle reflects on the amazing achievements of Justine, Julia and company, introduces you to some other badass French ladies, and wonders whether she should have recorded this when she'd had a little too much wine... Yes, it's a tipsy po…

Sufficient for the day is the newspaper thereof. Topics in this episode include Grattan and Flood, Seymour Bushe and the Childs murder case, Hamlet references, Michelangelo’s Moses and where to find it, Lenehan’s cigarette scheme, J.J. O’Molloy’s love of forensic rhetoric, the shortcomings of memoria, court cases appearing in the works of Joyce, Sa…

An action packed episode as host Lizzie Boyle reviews the racing from Lenzerheide and the World Team Challenge from Gelsenkirchen, looks ahead to Oberhof and delves into the mysterious alchemy of teamwork. This episode contains a lot of love for French female biathletes! You can download a transcript of the episode at https://drive.google.com/file/…

We welcome Paul Fagan (founder of the International Flann O'Brien Society) to Blooms & Barnacles to discuss a work heavily influenced by James Joyce - Flann O'Brien's 1939 novel, At Swim-Two-Birds. To hear the full episode, subscribe at patreon.com/barnaclecastBy Paul Fagan, Kelly Bryan

Ryan Kerr joins the Blooms & Barnacles podcast to discuss the racial politics of Ulysses. Topics include the minstrel show performer Eugene Stratton, the absence of black characters in Ulysses, and the depiction of anti-black racism within the novel. Support us on Patreon to access episodes early, bonus content, and a video version of our podcast. …

In this episode, host Lizzie Boyle explores all things nutrition and diet, including a delicious Swiss recipe for potatoes, what biathletes eat for breakfast and the identify of an undercover chef among our competitors... We also look at the importance of different foods and fuels for training, racing and recovery, and look forward to this week's r…

Clamn dever. Topics in this episode include Dublin journalism minutiae, pallindromes, Lenehan’s spoonerisms, the sad history behind the real-life inspiration for Professor MacHugh, the return of Stephen Dedalus’ extremely erudite daydreams, Stephen punches up Douglas Hyde’s poem, poetic meter and foot, rhyme and rhythm, the nightmare of history, Jo…

The World Cup season has begun! In this episode, host Lizzie Boyle looks back at ten days of fantastic racing from Oestersund, Sweden - with the help of some gods, monsters, trolls, runes, one hero in particular and a very informative mascot. You can download a transcript of this episode from https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lCK5MB5kbQIcyvRvzCRnQli…

What opera is like a railway line? Topics in this episode include MacHugh's love of Greek, kyrie eleison, Lenehan's riddle and limerick, the legendary Ignatius Gallaher, the real-life Gallaher, the Phoenix Park murders and the Invincibles, what Crawford gets wrong about the Invincibles, Gumley and Skin-the-Goat, Gallaher's great scoop in the New Yo…

What do Stephen and Bloom have in common with Austria-Hungary? Topics in this episode include Stephen delivering Mr. Deasy’s letter, Stephen’s vampire poem, Crawford dunks on Mr. Deasy, a cure for foot and mouth disease, the assassination attempt against Emperor Franz Josef, Maximilian Karl O’Donnell, graf von Tirconnell’s heroic defense of the Emp…

Welcome (back) to biathlon! In this episode, host Lizzie Boyle goes back to basics on biathlon to give new listeners everything you need to follow this incredible sport through the 2023/24 Biathlon and Para-Biathlon World Cup season. You'll also get some insights into the language of sport: from champions battling for supremacy to those who play fo…

Kelly talks with former James Joyce Tower & Museum curators Vivien Veale Igoe and Robert Nicholson, and editor Breandan O'Broin about their experience curating the tower, how Dublin's relationship with Joyce has changed over the years, and their new book, Tales from the Tower. Tales from the Tower will be available to purchase November 1, 2023 You …

How often does James Joyce think about the Roman Empire? Topics in this episode include Leopold Bloom bullied by children and adults, stealing upon larks, the Oval, The Rose of Castille, Lenehan’s riddle unfulfilled, the Roman Empire as an analogue to the British Empire, puns, cloacae, the origin of the phrase “cloacal obsession,” H.G. Wells’ revie…

Ryan Kerr joins the Blooms & Barnacles podcast to discuss the racial politics of Ulysses. Topics include the minstrel show performer Eugene Stratton, the absence of black characters in Ulysses, and the depiction of anti-black racism within the novel. Listen to the full episode at patreon.com/barnaclecast…

“... it would be a shrewd dialectician indeed who would make much sense out of the editor’s crowings about North Cork militia with Spanish officers in Ohio.” - Robert M. Adams Topics in this episode include the North Cork Militia, the Battle of Oulart, Ned Lambert’s superior improv skills, Bloom’s professionalism, Myles Crawford as a mirror to Mr. …

A discussion with scholar Elizabeth Foley O'Connor about a minor but fascinating minor Ulysses character, Lizzie Twigg, and what her satirical depiction in "Lestrygonians" tells us about early 20th century politics and literature in Dublin, and whether or not she deserved Joyce's ire (she didn't). Also, a brief discussion of the art and legacy of P…

—And here comes the sham squire himself! professor MacHugh said grandly. Topics in this episode include the last vestiges of Doughy Daw’s effulgence, the mysterious identity of Wetherup, Myles Crawford, the real men behind Myles Crawford, red the correpsondent color of “Aeolus”, the Egyptian god Thoth, Crawford’s birdlike qualities, the birds of au…

This is a recording of our live show from the 2023 Bloomsday Festival at the James Joyce Centre in Dublin. We discuss the occult influences on Ulysses with special guest Conner Habib. Support us on Patreon to access episodes early, bonus content, and a video version of our podcast. Conner Habib: https://connerhabib.com/ Blooms & Barnacles Social Me…

We are thrilled to announce our upcoming live show as part of the Joycenights Festival at the Joyce Tower and Museum. We will be welcoming special guests Vivien Igoe and Robert Nicholson to talk about their upcoming book, "Tales from the Tower." You can get your tickets here: https://joycetower.ie/events/blooms-barnacles-tales-from-the-tower-live-p…

In this episode, we journey back to Albertville and the 1992 Winter Olympic Games: the first time that women's biathlon was included in the Olympiad. We'll explore the zeitgeist of 1992, watch an Olympic race together and find out what happened to Hola, the missing goat... The video for this episode is at https://tinyurl.com/biathlon1992 And there'…

Inspired by your beauty…effulgent. Topics in this episode include lemon soap, Ned Lambert, Wilson Ruttledge, Hedges Eyre Chatterton, waiting for your rich uncle to die, Dan Dawson and “Our Lovely Land,” Aristotle’s Rhetoric, epideictic speeches, encomia for Helen, what Dan Dawson’s speech has in common with classical rhetorical treatises, making fu…