Uptown, downtown Bloomsday events
Outside Ulysses Folk House and outside Dive 106 are the places to be on next Tuesday, June 16. The first event, called “ReJoyce,” is by now a long-established tradition on the cobbled Stone Street, a minute’s walk from Wall Street, and takes place from about 1 p.m. until about 4:30. The second on 938 Amsterdam Ave. at 106th St, will begin at 5 p.m. and continue through 8 p.m. It is presented by the James Joyce Society, Irish American Writers & Artists, Inc., and the Irish Business Organization of New York. Anyone wishing to read/perform (a 3-4 minute passage from “Ulysses,” about a page) should email John Kearns at artscommittee@ibonewyork.org. For updates on the earlier Joycean celebration, visit www.ulyssesnyc.com.
Reading from “Ulysses” on Stone Street, June 16, 2022. [Photo by Peter McDermott]
Queens Irish Fest
The New York Irish Center presents five continuous hours of music and dance set against the backdrop of Queens at the fifth annual “Queens Irish Heritage Festival” on Sunday, June 14, from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. The free outdoor concert event, which celebrates the interconnections of New York’s Irish community and numerous other communities, takes place at Culture Lab LIC, 5-25 46th Avenue, in Long Island City, and is co-presented by Culture Lab LIC and McManus Irish Dance.
Darrah Carr Dance. [Photo by Paul Coughlan]
‘Misterman’ revival
Origin Theatre Company is presenting an Off-Broadway revival of Enda Walsh’s “Misterman” as part of the 2026 Origin Irish Theatre Festival in New York. Directed by Labhaoise Magee, and starring Daniel Marconi (“Sweeney Todd” and "Mary Poppins" on Broadway), Walsh’s virtuosic study of one man's descent into religious mania in small-town Ireland begins on Tuesday, June 23 and runs through Sunday, July 5 at Theater Row, 410 West 42nd St. (Tickets: bfany.org/theatre-row/shows/misterman).
The Festival, which is a tribute to Walsh, kicks off on next Tuesday, June 16, with a unique immersive concert, the “Enda Walsh Mixtape,” celebrating the music that inspired Walsh’s plays and films, as well as tunes from his musicals “Once,” "Sing Street," and "Lazarus" (Walsh's musical collaboration with David Bowie). Featuring Max Bartos and the Motherfolkers, Paddy Reilly’s Music Bar, 519 2nd Ave.
Enda Walsh
Walsh will attend Origin’s 2026 Benefit Gala on Monday, June 29, when he will be honored with the title of Origin’s “Ard Seanchaí" (“Chief Storyteller” in Irish). The event takes place at the American Irish Historical Society, 991 Fifth Avenue, Monday, June 29, 7 p.m.
Using AI in roots search
The Irish Family History will address the topic "Using AI in Family History Research," Saturday morning, June 20.
The guest speaker is Melanie McComb, senior genealogist at Boston-based American Ancestors, a national center for family history.
The meeting, the last before the summer break, will take place at the Freeport Memorial Library, 144 West Merrick Road, Freeport, Long Island, N.Y. 11520. Doors open at 10 a.m. Presentation will begin at 11 a.m. All are welcome! (See ifhf.org)
Artificial Intelligence is the latest tool being used in family history research, and it presents genealogists with exciting possibilities. But it should also be used with caution. Is AI-generated information always accurate? Are there copyright concerns?
Melanie McComb is an international lecturer on a variety of genealogy topics. She is an honorary fellow of the Massachusetts Historical Society and a frequent contributor to American Ancestors Magazine and Fifty Plus Advocate.
