In Dublin the centenary of Beckett's birth was celebrated with a reading from some of the writer's prose, plays and poetry in the Gate Theatre.
Actors Michael Gambon, David Kelly, Charles Dance, Penelope Wilton and John Kavanagh read extracts from a selection of work that included Watt, The Unnameable, Krapp's Last Tape and Endgame.
Following the reading the performers joined member of the audience for a celebratory glass of champagne and a slice of birthday cake.
The Minister for the Arts, Mr O'Donoghue, issued a statement saying Beckett was "not just a global titan of theatre; he excelled in expression through many art forms. His impact and influence across many of those art forms is manifest today".
He said that the writer's many legacies included "some of the most iconic, visual and aural theatrical imagery of the 20th and, indeed, the 21st century".
The Minister said he was proud to be associated with the festival to mark Beckett's centenary in his native city.