The 10 new states joining the EU on May 1st will be specially welcomed into the Union by 10 Irish cities and towns with music, poetry, street theatre and pageantry.
The towns and cities and their corresponding new member-states on the Day of Welcomes will be: Bray-Cyprus, Cork-Slovakia, Drogheda-Latvia, Galway-
Estonia, Kilkenny-Lithuania, Killarney-Czech Republic, Letterkenny-Poland, Limerick-Slovenia, Sligo-Hungary and Waterford-Malta.
Each city or town will showcase local cultural and commercial activity, and each will have a specific showcase event.
The Day of Welcomes was announced yesterday by Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Mr O'Donoghue. He said it would place Ireland at the centre, not just of European affairs but also of the world spotlight.
It was an opportunity to showcase the unique cultural aspects of Ireland, as well as celebrating the qualities and individuality of each of the new European neighbours, he added.
The Day of Welcomes will be at the heart of the national weekend of celebration to mark the accession. The weekend will start on the evening of Friday, April 30th, with a 20-minute firweorks display.
A concert of Irish and international stars is also planned for Dublin city centre.
St Stephen's Green, Dublin, will be transformed into the European Fair on May 1st and 2nd, 2004. Visitors will enjoy food and produce from all over the world and experience fashion, textiles, technologies and cultural activity.
It is hoped that up to 100,000 people will visit the fair over the weekend, which will also act as a forum of tourism, business and commercial links.
Mr O'Donoghue said the six months of Ireland's EU presidency was "an invaluable opportunity to showcase all that is best about our country."
"The real impacts on perception and understanding of a member-state are done at a human and cultural level rather than at a political level," he said.
The full cultural programme for Ireland's EU presidency will be announced on January 7th.