Wednesday, June 16, 2004

Is commercialism killing Irish culture?

The Guardian this week began an article entitled "Bangers and machinations" with the words "From Riverdance to the Famine - the Disneyfication of Ireland's heritage continues apace. Now it's James Joyce's turn as the centenary of Bloomsday is marked by a mass fry-up in Dublin". The article then goes on to discuss the fact that the 100th anniversary of Bloomsday, the fictional date when Leopold Bloom and Stephen Dedalus embarked on their intertwining journeys through Dublin in Joyce's Ulysses, will be celebrated by Denny's (the sausage makers!) hosting a Joycean big breakfast on O'Connell Street, Dublin's main thoroughfare for 10,000 people. The article, in essence asks, "Is commercialism killing Irish culture?" All very interesting, read the article, although I doubt you will get a seat at this stage, and would you want one anyway?

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