, ▁G og art y ' s ▁political ▁identity ▁was ▁complex ▁and ▁id ios ync r atic , ▁and ▁in ▁his ▁book ▁he ▁gave ▁frequent ▁vent ▁to ▁his ▁anim os ity ▁towards ▁É am on ▁de ▁Val era ▁and ▁his ▁dis ill usion ment ▁with ▁Irish ▁politics . ▁ ▁Char acters ▁As ▁I ▁Was ▁Go ing ▁Down ▁S ack ville ▁Street ▁opens ▁with ▁the ▁disc la imer ▁" The ▁names ▁in ▁this ▁book ▁are ▁real , ▁the ▁characters ▁fict it ious ", ▁and ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁notable ▁figures ▁make ▁appearances ▁in ▁its ▁pages , ▁including ▁E oin ▁O ' D uff y , ▁James ▁Joy ce , ▁W . B . ▁Ye ats , ▁George ▁Moore , ▁Lord ▁D uns any , ▁Se um as ▁O ' S ull ivan ▁( as ▁" Ne il "), ▁ Æ , ▁Robert ▁Y el ver ton ▁T yr rell , ▁John ▁Pent land ▁Mah aff y , ▁Arthur ▁Griff ith , ▁Michael ▁Collins , ▁and ▁Hor ace ▁Pl unk ett . ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁frequently ▁rec urr ing ▁figures ▁in ▁the ▁book ▁is ▁that ▁of ▁End ym ion , ▁a ▁Dublin ▁ecc ent ric , ▁who ▁prom in ently ▁features ▁in ▁the ▁opening ▁and ▁closing ▁scenes ▁and ▁appears ▁at ▁intervals ▁throughout ▁the ▁text . ▁ ▁G og art y ▁critic ▁James ▁F . ▁Car ens ▁has ▁argued ▁that ▁the ▁character ▁of ▁End ym ion , ▁a ▁gen ial ▁mad man ▁who ▁has ▁adjust ed ▁" Re ason ▁to ▁the ▁ph ant as mag