Dublin has been designated a city of literature by the cultural arm of the United Nations, Unesco. It is the fourth city to receive the award with previous recipients including Edinburgh, Melbourne and Iowa City. Irish Minister for Culture and Tourism Mary Hanafin said Dublin was granted the accolade “because of the rich historical literary past of the city, the vibrant contemporary literature, the variety of festivals and attractions available and because it is the birthplace and home of literary greats”.

A detailed application for the designation was made to Unesco last November by a group led by Dublin City Council’s library service. Unesco was also lobbied by political and cultural bodies from Ireland. Ms Hanafin said the designation would be a welcome boost for cultural tourism in Dublin in the coming years. “Being one of only four cities in the world to achieve the status of Unesco city of literature, will enable Dublin to increase its market share of tourists and attract more people to both the city and the island of Ireland.”

Padraic Gilligan commented,"This is fantastic news for Dublin and indeed Ireland, it comes just two weeks after the city of Derry in Northern Ireland won the title of City of Culture for 2013. Those who have visited Ireland before will know that it is a country steeped in cultural heritage with a rich literary past but these awards serve to reaffirm this and really set Ireland on the map as a cultural destination defined by literature and art."

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