My Family Connections in Ulysses

The “portly gentleman” who emerges in the cemetery at Glasnevin to greet and consort with acquaintances of his own among the mourners at Paddy Dignan’s funeral, was in real life John Kileen O’Connell: cemetery Superintendent, raconteur in his own social circle of innumerable graveyard stories – and father of Thomas Anthony O’Connell, the present author’s [Patricia O’Connell] father.

Further, this Tony O’Connell’s sister, Katie, was to marry John Cusack – son of the real-life Michael Cusack who features in a long-drawn-out episode as “The Citizen”, and who first appears in Ulysses (“the citizen and his mongrel dog”) in Barney Kiernan’s public house. Michael Cusack’s memory is best preserved as one of the founders of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The bookish and learned inaugurator of his own tutorial school for British public examinations, Cusack’s nationalism and love of the Irish language was genuine. But he is lampooned by Joyce as rough and aggressive.

View Illustrations here