🌿 Breathe and Bloom: Of Fathers and Figures

A Bloomsday x Father's Day Celebration of Strength, Story, and Stillness 🗓️ Sunday, June 15th 2025 | 🕚 11:00am–1:30pm | 📍 Brighton Square Presented by Happenings Ireland in partnership with the Bloomsday Festival and James Joyce Centre

This Father’s Day, we return to where it all began—Brighton Square, birthplace of James Joyce—for a joyful, reflective, and slightly whimsical celebration of fatherhood, physicality, and Ulysses. Join us for a Bloomsday event unlike any other—Breathe and Bloom, where strong bodies, deep breaths, literary minds, and family memories come together in one beautiful park.

Joyce’s Ulysses may not be your go-to wellness guide, but Leopold Bloom’s meditations on his body and mind—his Sandow’s exercises, his moments of self-care and doubt—are surprising windows into early wellness culture. This year, we honour those insights with a playful Father's Day twist. We celebrate not only Bloom’s bodily awareness but also his role as a flawed, compassionate, and deeply human father figure.

Whether you're a father, have a father, or are just father-curious, come connect with generations past and present through breath, movement, story, and song.

✨ The Slightly Whimsical but also very serious program !! 🧘 11:00–12:00 | Yoga and Breathwork in the Park with Michael Ryan - Father of two and yoga teacher to Michael D Higgins. A grounding, family-friendly yoga session open to all ages and levels. Designed to be welcoming for fathers, daughters, grandads, sons, mentors and mentees. Expect breath, stretch and laughter.

💪 12:00–12:30 | “Sandow's Ghost: A Return to Strength” with Dr. Conor Heffernan A lively talk and demonstration on the historical influence of Eugen Sandow—the original body-builder and Bloom’s fitness muse. Dr. Heffernan brings insight and humour, with interactive exercises and optional participation for anyone brave enough to try out some Victorian dumbbell reps. (Special Father-Child Sandow Showdown encouraged but not required!)

🎭 12:30–1:30 | Readings, Music & The Family Picnic Lawn Joycean passages exploring fatherhood, folly and feeling, performed by local artists and special guests. Interspersed with music, children's readings, and opportunities for attendees to share a line, a lyric, or a toast to their own father figure. Bring a blanket, some sandwiches or whatever you fancy, and make an afternoon of it.

🎨 Bonus Experiences: The “Letter to My Da” Tree – Write or draw a note to your dad, past or present, and hang it in our blooming tribute tree.

Sandow Kids Station – Mini weight-lifting (safely foam-based!) and Victorian mustache crafting for the young and young-at-heart.

💸 Entry Info: Yoga in the Park: €10

Talk, performances & activities: Free & open to all

Book here or pay on the day!!

The Yoga in the Park class is €10. Dr. Heffernan's talk and the music and readings are free to the public. Come enjoy a morning and early afternoon of yoga, mindfulness and fun in what is a Bloomsday Festival and Fathers Day first !!

The Bloomsday Festival is organised by the James Joyce Centre in partnership with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Fáilte Ireland, and Dublin UNESCO City of Literature.