THE JOYCEAN breakfast composed of the inner organs of beasts and fowls and much beloved by Leopold Bloom appears to have passed the test of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland.
While Joycean scholars from around the world were tucking into thick giblet soup and nutty gizzards at the James Joyce Centre on North Great George’s Street in Dublin on Bloomsday, the authority carried out an inspection to make sure all was well.
Perhaps it was Mr Bloom’s love of “grilled mutton kidneys which gave to his palate a fine tang of faintly scented urine” which drew them to the centre, where among the guests was Lord Mayor of Dublin Emer Costello.
The inspection during the Bloomsday celebration breakfast has caused irritation to leading Joycean, Senator David Norris.
“Meaningless”, said the senator yesterday, adding it was “opportunistic”, as the restaurant at the centre only opens one day a year to put on a Bloomsday breakfast.
“I wonder if they inspected all the other premises around the area on the same day. You should ask them that,” he said.
A spokeswoman for the authority confirmed the premises had been visited on Bloomsday by an inspector. “There had been a coffee shop there which was subject to regular inspection, but as that closed down and the restaurant was only open for the one day, it was the only time the premises could be inspected,” she said.
She confirmed there had been no complaints from diners, many of whom had travelled to Dublin to celebrate the most famous breakfast in literary history.
Mr Norris said he was very pleased to hear the premises had passed the FSAI test, and said he would have expected nothing else as outside caterers had been brought in to prepare the feast.
He said the menu had scrambled eggs, rashers, black and white pudding and kidneys.
Mr Norris said he supported the principle of inspecting food premises.