Who is Simon Dedalus in Ulysses?
Simon Dedalus is Stephen's father: charming, witty, a fine tenor, and a failed provider whose family lives in poverty. He rides in the funeral carriage with Bloom in Episode 6 and sings beautifully in the Ormond bar in Episode 11.
Edited by Aidan O'Leary · Last updated 30 October 2026
Where it appears
Several episodes. Simon in the Ormond bar, shy at first when asked to sing.
—Ah, I couldn’t, man, Mr Dedalus said, shy, listless.
What it means in plain English
He does sing, “M'appari” from Martha, and the whole bar is moved. Bloom listens from the dining room.
Stephen avoids him all day. His daughters, Stephen's sisters, go hungry in Wandering Rocks.
Literary context
He is based on Joyce's own father, John Stanislaus Joyce.
References
- Ulysses, Episodes 3, 6, 10 and 11
- Richard Ellmann, James Joyce (revised edition, 1982)
Continue in the Reading Room
Questions readers ask
Is Simon Dedalus based on Joyce's father?
Yes, closely, on John Stanislaus Joyce.
Related terms
Stephen Dedalus
The young writer who opens the novel — brilliant, grieving, and adrift. Joyce's Telemachus, the searching son.
Ormond Hotel
The Ormond Hotel on Ormond Quay is the setting of Episode 11, “Sirens”. Bloom eats liver and bacon in the dining room while Simon Dedalus and Ben Dollard sing in the bar, and Boylan leaves to visit Molly.
Paddy Dignam
Paddy Dignam is the Dublin man whose funeral Bloom attends at Glasnevin Cemetery in Episode 6. He died suddenly of a stroke, helped by drink, leaving a widow and five children. Bloom spends part of the day helping to collect insurance money for the family.