James Joyce's Ulysses: A Photo Tour of Dublin

Home

13. Nausicaa

14. Oxen of the Sun

15. Circe

16. Eumaeus

17. Ithaca

18. Penelope

Aida Yared's Nausicaa images

James Joyce's Ulysses: A Dublin Tour
13. Nausicaa

The summer evening had begun to fold the world in its mysterious embrace. Far away in the west the sun was setting and the last glow of all too fleeting day lingered lovingly on sea and strand, on the proud promontory of dear old Howth guarding as ever the waters of the bay and, last but not least, on the quiet church whence there streamed forth at times upon the stillness the voice of prayer to her who is in her pure radiance a beacon ever to the stormtossed heart of man, Mary, star of the sea. (331)

Star of the Sea Church, as seen from Sandymount Strand

Bloom has spent most of the two hours which separate this chapter from the previous one at the Dignams' house in Sandymount, following up his earlier intentions to help with the estate. Now he is on Sandymount Strand, a two-minute walk away, on the beach in front of the Star of the Sea Church, whose steeple you can see peering through the trees in the centre of the photo above. Much of the beachfront has been reclaimed now, so we can imagine Bloom and Gerty on the beach somewhere between the church and the position of the camera--probably about where the red school building to the left of the frame is. The street which runs to the right of the church is Leahy's Terrace, from which Stephen saw the two elderly women descend in "Proteus" (38). (The steps down from the Terrace are no longer there.)

Scene: The Rocks

Hour: 8 pm

Organ: Eye, nose

Art: Painting

Colour: Grey, blue

Symbol: Virgin

Technic: Tumescence, detumescence

Correspondences:

Nausicaa: Nymph

Phaecia: Star of the Sea

This is the Star of the Sea Church as seen from Sandymount Drive, looking towards the sea.

Through the open window of the church the fragrant incense was wafted and with it the fragrant names of her who was conceived without stain of original sin, spritual vessel, pray for us, honourable vessel, pray for us, vessel of singular devotion, pray for us, mystical rose. And careworn hearts were there and toilers for their daily bread and many who had erred and wandered, their eyes wet with contrition but for all that bright with hope ... (341)

     The clock on the mantelpiece in the priest's house [at 3 Leahy Terrace] cooed where Canon O'Hanlon and Father Conroy and the reverend John Hughes S. J. were taking tea and sodabread and butter and fried mutton chops with catsup and talking about
               Cuckoo.
               Cuckoo.
               Cuckoo. (364-65)

The contents of these pages are © 2004, Tony Thwaites, The University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia 4072

email me