President Mary McAleese and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern led the tributes today to Anne Enright, the rank outsider who last night won the Man Booker Prize for fiction.
The President said the award, one of the most prestigious in the literary world, was a "most deserved affirmation" of Enright's talent. She was "an imaginative and insightful writer who continues the long tradition of literary richness which flows from Ireland," Mrs McAleese added.
Minster for Arts Seamus Brennan
Before answering questions from Opposition leaders this morning, Mr Ahern told the Dáil that Enright's award for The Gatheringwas a "marvellous achievement".
The novel was a 20/1 outside among the six shortlisted works. But the 45-year-old Dublin-born author who now lives in Bray Co Wicklow, beat off strong challenges from authors of international renown.
Minster for Arts Seamus Brennan said: "Ireland can be truly proud of her success against such a prestigious and internationally recognised shortlist of other competing writers."
Enright received a cash prize stg£50,000 (€70,000) and the award is certain to give a massive boost to sales of a novel which has been described as a sometimes bleak but brilliantly written insight into filial relationships.
The Arts Council hailed the win as proof of the wealth of literary talent which continues to emerge in Ireland.
Director Mary Cloake said: "Significantly, it puts the international spotlight on Enright's work and on Irish literature generally."
The Gatheringis the second Booker for Ireland in two years after John Banville won in 2005 for The Sea. Enright follows in the footsteps of philosopher and novelist Irish Murdoch as Ireland's second female winner of the prize. Roddy Doyle was the only other Irish winner - in 1993 for Paddy Clarke Ha, Ha, Ha.
Chairman of the Booker Prize judges Howard Davies said when the novel was shortlisted the panel did not expect it would be a winner but it became the unanimous choice.
"The book is powerful, it pulls you along and it has an absolutely brilliant ending. It has one of the best last sentences of any novel I have ever read."
"It is a very intense piece of writing which does repay re-reading," Mr Davies said.
The favourites for the prize were Mister Pipby New Zealander Lloyd Jones just ahead in the betting of former winner Ian McEwan for On Chesil Beach.
Mohsin Hamid's The Reluctant Fundamentalist; Nicola Barker's Darkmansand Animal's Peopleby Indra Sinha were the other works on the shortlist.
At the award ceremony in London last night, Enright dedicated her win to her partner Martin Murphy and their two children aged four and seven.