Celebrations will take place throughout the State tomorrow to mark the accession of 10 new member states to the European Union. Ireland, as current president of the EU, will host the official ceremonies, which will be attended by all the European Union heads of state.
The official ceremonies will take place at Áras an Úachtaráin and Farmleigh tomorrow evening. However, entertainment and other events are planned for each of the 10 towns and cities playing host to a new EU state.
The 10 new states, who will officially be members of the EU from midnight, are Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia.
The Fáilte Session, a concert of traditional musicians from the new EU states and Ireland will take place at 10.30 p.m. tomorrow in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham. It will feature music from Altan, the Afro Celt Sound System, Liam O'Flynn and the Balor dance group. Although it is for an invited audience of 250 only, it will be broadcast live on RTÉ.
Public events will include the Stars of the Sea fireworks display at Sandymount Strand in Dublin tonight.
Tomorrow, Merrion Square Dublin will host a European fair, which is expected to attract over 100,000 visitors. It will feature food, craft, tourism, technology and culture from all the EU states, including the 10 new states and three pre-accession states, Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey.
In Galway, the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and Tallinn Chamber Orchestra will perform tonight, in the "last concert of the Old Europe". The orchestra will give a free concert in St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin tomorrow.
The Bray Jazz Festival in Co. Wicklow will feature leading performers from five of the new EU states as part of its fifth festival programme.
Bray is host town to Cyprus and the theme of its celebration is "From our shore to your shore". The other host towns and cities and their guests are Cork (Slovakia); Drogheda (Latvia); Galway (Estonia); Kilkenny (Lithuania); Killarney (Czech Republic); Letterkenny (Poland); Limerick (Slovenia); Sligo (Hungary) and Waterford (Malta).
Tomorrow morning, the three presidents - the President of the European Council, Mr Bertie Ahern, President of the European Parliament, Mr Pat Cox, and the President of the European Commission, Mr Romano Prodi, will hold a joint press conference in Dublin.
Leaders from the member states will arrive throughout the day and will be greeted by the Taoiseach at Farmleigh. A flag-raising ceremony will take place at Aras an Uachtarain tomorrow evening. It will followed by a reception and, later by dinner at Farmleigh.
The national flag and the European flag will be flown on all public buildings in Ireland to mark the occasion.