Dublin's James Joyce Centre reopened today as plans were unveiled for a series of events to celebrate the masterpiece Ulysseson Bloomsday this Friday.
Joyceans are being invited to a traditional Guinness and kidneys breakfast on North Great George's Street while tours, talks and readings will be held throughout the city centre.
At the opening, Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism John O'Donoghue revealed €250,000 in funding was being provided this year and next and as part of the package to keep it from closure.
Senator David Norris joins Actors in costume from the Gaiety School of Acting to launch the programme for Bloomsday 2006.
"Dublin without a Joyce Centre, was simply unconscionable. The challenge for the Centre and for public, private and corporate Dublin was to ensure that this would never be the case," the Minister said.
Mr O'Donoghue said he hoped the commitment would be matched by contributions from business, which in the past supported it. Bloomsday will kick off with the breakfast as the Gaiety School of Acting performs extracts of Ulysses.
Other events include readings from the masterpiece, walking tours of Joyce's Dublin, lunchtime talks by James Quinn on special topics of interest including Joyce and mothers, Joyce and the critical reception of Ulysses, Joyce and synchronicity and Joyce and Paul Leon.
Balloonatics, ingenious devisers of countless inventive Bloomsday celebrations, are also planning more mayhem this year.
The Bloomsday Messenger Bike Rally, now in its twelfth year, will also take to the streets ensuring the public know the celebration is in full swing.
A new board is now in place to run the centre with leading Joyceans such as Senator David Norris and Ken Monaghan taking key roles.
Elsewhere on Friday, a Merrion Square lunchtime Bloomsday walk is planned - Walking with Mr Bloom. A guided tour of the city follows the eighth chapter of Ulysses.
And the Writers Entertain, a regular one-man show at the Dublin Writers Museum in Parnell Square, will take on a special Bloomsday emphasis.