DUBLIN HAD been designated a Unesco City of Literature – a title which is for perpetuity – Lord Mayor Gerry Breen announced yesterday.

Dublin is only the fourth city to be awarded the title: the other cities are Edinburgh, Melbourne, and Iowa City.

In his speech, outside the capital’s Grand Canal Theatre, Mr Breen alluded to the fact that James Joyce had considered “there was no greater calling in life than to be lord mayor of a city and that of all the cities in the world, he would like to be Lord Mayor of Dublin.” He then declared: “If I had to choose between being the author of Ulyssesor the Lord Mayor of Dublin, I would always choose to be the Lord Mayor of Dublin.”

Minister for Culture Mary Hanafin was also present. In her speech, she noted the designation was “a great recognition of the vast literary wealth for which we are renowned and will be a welcome boost for cultural tourism”.

The application was three years in development, overseen by the library service of Dublin City Council, and was submitted in November last year to Unesco’s headquarters in Paris.

“Even though it’s a designation for the city, it’s an honour for all Irish writers,” explained Jane Alger of Dublin City Libraries. “It means literature will be brought to the top of the cultural arts agenda.”

There were a number of writers present for the announcement, who had been informed of the designation in recent days, and it’s surely a tribute to a town which loves to gossip that the embargo of the news held till yesterday.

Some writers were not yet sure what the title Unesco City of Literature meant. “It remains to be seen exactly what it means,” confessed poet Peter Sirr. “If it can result in practical initiatives that promote literature, that’s great.”

“I’m not sure what effect it will have on me personally, but it’s a pleasure to be associated with it,” said poet Thomas Kinsella.

Novelist Joseph O’Connor said: “It’s happy news at a time when we need some of it. It’ll be an encouragement to a crop of younger writers and might bring in the odd tourist.”

“Dublin is being seen as a literary city as opposed to the very crass city as it was during the boom. It’s a reassertion of literary values,” said novelist Claire Kilroy.

Paul Howard, author of the Ross O’Carroll-Kelly books, gently disagreed with her. “Having made my living from the crassness of the Celtic Tiger, I’m afraid it’s all over for me. Now, it’s all about values.”

Among the other writers present yesterday were Pat Boran, Mannix Flynn, Patricia Scanlan, Claudia Carroll, Aubrey Flegg, Sarah Webb, Hugo Hamilton, Siobhán Parkinson, Chris Binchy, Enda Wyley and Theo Dorgan.