Cometh the Hour, Cometh the Comet: An Astronomical Discovery in Ulysses

Prepare for a dazzling evening where literature meets the cosmos. On November 1st at 6.30pm at the James Joyce Centre, journalist and Joyce scholar Senan Molony unveils a striking new celestial discovery hidden within James Joyce’s Ulysses.

What if the blazing trail of Halley’s Comet streaks not only through the heavens, but through the very pages of the 20th century’s greatest novel? Join us as Molony explores how Joyce’s fascination with astronomy, astrology, and cosmic symbolism illuminates the intertwined fates of Leopold Bloom, Molly, and Blazes Boylan—each orbiting their destinies like heavenly bodies in an eternal dance.

Timed to coincide with the arrival of a new interstellar visitor to our solar system in late 2025, this lecture invites you to look upward — and inward. Through wit, insight, and meticulous research, Molony reveals Ulysses as not just a Dublin odyssey, but a cosmic one. Whether you are a devoted Joycean or simply starstruck by great storytelling, this event promises to leave you seeing Joyce’s universe—and your own—in a new and radiant light.

The event is free but booking is essential. Doors open at 6pm.

Senan Molony is a journalist for Mediahuis Ireland covering the Irish Independent and Sunday Independent. An accomplished author, Molony has written extensively on Irish history, James Joyce and the Titanic.

The James Joyce Centre is supported by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport.

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