The Irish History Show 110 Leopold Bloom and Albert Altman
May 27, 2025
Neil Davison, a professor specializing in James Joyce, and Vincent Altman O’Connor, a civil servant and descendant of Albert Altman, dive into the intriguing connections between Leopold Bloom and his potential inspiration, Albert Altman. They explore the historical context of the Jewish community in Ireland and Altman's significant political legacy. The discussion weaves through themes of identity, anti-Semitism, and Joyce's modern literary influence, while examining the complexities of Bloom's character in 'Ulysses' amidst the socio-political landscape of the time.
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Family Link Sparks Discovery
- Vincent Altman O’Connor discovered his great-granduncle Albert Altman connected to the Jewish politician possibly inspiring Leopold Bloom.
- Family stories and coincidental parallels sparked their research and engagement with Joyce scholars.
Ulysses' Deep Multifaceted Significance
- Ulysses is a monumental modernist novel deeply documenting Dublin and colonial Irish history.
- It explores anti-Semitism, Jewish identity, and national struggles, enriching its literary and historical significance.
Bloom's Jewish Roots Explained
- Ireland had both a native Jewish community and a later Lithuanian immigrant Jewish group by 1904.
- Leopold Bloom aligns more with earlier assimilated Irish Jews than with later orthodox Lithuanian immigrants.
