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JOHN SHEVLIN RECEIVED an unusual request from a neighbour a few years ago.
The manager of the James Joyce Centre – across the road from ShevLin’s home on North Great George’s Street in Dublin city centre – had spotted him coming and going over the years, and noticed his incredible likeness to the author himself.
A request to appear at one event in full 1920s costume has led to a side-job for Shevlin as the centre’s resident Joyce lookalike.
He takes the role seriously, and has a carefully selected range of props – a vintage pair of glasses (with prescription lens made without modern methods by his optometrist, Donal McNally of Optica), an antique cane carefully adjusted to be the correct length for his height, and a bar of lemon-scented soap from Sweny’s, as featured in Ulysses.
To top it all off is a handmade Panama hat, made by ShevLin himself in his day-job as a milliner where he keeps a family tradition of hat making alive since his late father first opened a shop in Malahide back in 1960.
Based from a studio in Temple Bar, he specialises in Panama hats made using traditional Ecuadorian straw (despite the name, they don’t originally come from Panama).
President Michael D Higgins, a fan of Panama hats, has received several from Shevlin over the years, and was most recently spotted wearing one in Cuba last year.
We spoke to ShevLin ahead of Bloomsday, his busiest time of the year.
Watch the video above for our full report.
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I absolutely can’t stand Leo, but protests outside his home is completely unacceptable. If you have problems with his policies protest outside government buildings.
@John Smith: The problem is these illiterate uneducated Cannon fodder gobdaw types probably don’t vote they most likely believe that being part of an anti establishment movement means not to vote.
Whatever happens on the political stage, there should be no tolerance for this level of protest. Individuals elected to do a job must have their privacy protected by law and that law must be applied. There should be no cheap PR available from such stunts.
@Aileen Lawlor: this is pure victim blaming. He should 100% be able to post to social media if he wants, he has a life outside of politics. People know where I live, doesn’t give them the right to rock up at my front door and picket me or my family.
@Aileen Lawlor: wow. Blame the victim.
Bit late now lads. 90% of the country fully vaccinated and you’re campaigning against vaccines. That boat sailed about the same time as the Titanic.
The Government and the Guards have been warned about these far right loonies for long enough now yet choose to take no action. Maybe now something might happen but its too late. They’ve been given enough free reign for the last few years and now they have big money backing them from abroad. Follow the money and close these head the balls down.
@Gerry from the Block: the problem is the second you do they’ll be screaming it’s a police state
@Gerard: At this stage they can scream all they want. They’re made up mostly of grifters and wasters with nothing else to be at with their time. They’re growing stronger with all the money being thrown at them and it’s only a matter of time before there is a serious incident where somebody gets hurt. One of them was ranting a few weeks back that the president of Ireland should be dragged out if his house and his head should be danced on. I mean, how can this just be let go? What has to happen before the Guards get properly involved?
@Gerard: They’re screaming that already, they were screaming it while we all kept inside our 5km last year, and they were all travelling the country unhindered to protest wherever they wanted. Are we going to wait until they get inside someone’s house? Because that’s the next step.
@Liam Mc Meel: ‘The people’ had a democratic election and voted for this ‘so-called Government’, this group of 25 are not ‘the people’, they are fascists.
@Rebecca BarrettNp: It is amazing how many of them are were originally far right extremists extremists. Then they hopped on the Irexit bandwagon and now they all became anti-vaxers. Like that Cahill person Some people just seem to be fueled by what ever hate can fuel their selfish outlook on the world.
@Edmund Murphy: I had to edit that comment so much to get it to post but I’m glad of that. I don’t need to stoop to their level of discourse.
A crowd of chancers that’s what they are.
Is it ok during elections for politicians to walk up to your house knock on your door and/or push election material through your letter box? Maybe what’s good for the goose is good for the gander!
@Alan Beirne: same thing is it? Lol
@Alan Beirne: while i agree, the leaflet through the door is very annoying, it is not intimidating. I do not feel intimidated in my own home when i get a leaflet through the door. Massive difference. There is absolutely no excuse for that behaviour and ‘protest’.
@Alan Beirne: do they harass you at the door, call into question your heritage and sexuality , abuse you or anything remotely resembling hassle , also you can tell them to go away from door an they will
If people want to protest, they can and should do so at the GPO, Govt Buildings or the Dail. But NO politician of whatever hue should be victims of terrorists in their own homes.
The people who engaged in this so called “protest” are nothing more than bullying thugs. They are narrow minded people without the capacity to act in a a civilized manner. People, whose actions are fueled by an uncouth rage rendering them unable to act without any sense of dignity, decency or proberty.
And for the record I am not admirer of Leo or a fan of Fine Gael.
The far right have been getting away with online abuse, abusing front line workers, turning up to politicians homes, filming themselves breaking COVID legislation , attacking members of the public etc for the past 18 months. This is a natural progression. Whilst the brain capacity of these people are low – note lady describing Varadkar as the Taoiseach and a Muslim – they are unhinged and need to be stopped. The homophobic nature of the abuse yesterday is sickening and the Gardai stood by and allowed it to happen.
Regardless of what party you may support or be part of, this must be called out as disgusting on multiple levels and must be stopped. yes there is a right to protest, but there is also a right to privacy to both the public and/or any public servant
@Liam Mc Meel: fair play??? So screening homophobic abuse at someone outside thier home is fair play now John. I’m glad your kind is only a very very small minority in this great country.
We desperately need protests against this government but while their incompetence and corruption affects each of us in our own homes every day, this kind of protest is counter productive.
@David Knight: I should say beautiful, great and TOLERANT country….
@Liam Mc Meel: Do you agree with this demonstration?
@Bill Spill: no, it’s despicable as are the goons
have your say