Writers in Cork are hoping to tap into the genius of Frank O'Connor, following the renovation of his birthplace for a new home for the Munster Literature Council.
The original Georgian building in Douglas Street was where the acclaimed writer was born as Michael O'Donovan in September 1903.
It was purchased by Cork City Council last January at a cost of approximately €250,000 with the specific aim of having it renovated for the centenary of O'Connor's birth on September 17th.
It was officially opened yesterday evening by the Minister for Tourism, Mr John O'Donoghue, and brought a week of festivities for the annual Frank O'Connor Festival to a close.
"We knew there had to be a rapid turnaround because September was always our deadline and we're absolutely delighted it's going to be opened on time.
"There's a lovely synchronicity in that the house in which Frank O'Connor was born has become a building which can foster new writing talent in Cork," Cork's city arts officer, Ms Liz Meaney, said yesterday.
"There are few houses of that time refurbished to such a standard as this. It's a lovely building which will now house the Munster Literature Council and will be a great resource for writers.
"When O'Connor was writing there were no resources available to him in the city. There's a huge concentration of writing in Cork, and the council needs to be conscious of fostering such talent and helping it to develop," Ms Meaney added.
Among the resources that will be available at the new centre will be a collection of over 150 videos on Irish and international writers.
According to Ms Meaney, the Cork short-story writer's reputation has grown in recent years, earning huge acclaim from other noted writers internationally.
"He's really coming to the fore now. While traditionally he was appreciated a little more perhaps on the international scene, his writing is also beginning to take off in Ireland also," Ms Meaney said.