A national co-ordinator has been appointed to head centenary celebrations to mark James Joyce's Bloomsday next year.
Ms Laura Weldon was announced yesterday as national co-ordinator of the 2004 events by the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Mr O'Donoghue. She will be working with the Bloomsday Centenary Co-ordinating Committee, established earlier this year.
The committee are planning a programme of celebrations over a number of months for a "unique high quality cultural tourism experience".
"I am very pleased that the centenary committee have chosen Laura Weldon, a talented and dynamic person, to act as its co-ordinator," said Mr O'Donoghue.
"It is important from the dual aspects of cultural appreciation and tourism that events for next year's Bloomsday and afterwards, are properly co-ordinated," he added.
Ms Weldon has delivered lectures and talks on James Joyce and is a recognised collector of the writer's material.
In James Joyce's masterpiece novel Ulysses, Bloomsday, June 16th, 1904, is the day when the character Leopold Bloom traverses Dublin city.
It has become the day on which fans of Joyce celebrate the man and his unique work.