Europe Day 2010 - List of free events

TalkToEU: John

This year Europe Day will be celebrated with a series of free events in Dublin and in Europe Direct Centres around the country. Guest of Honour at the Open Door event in European House, 18 Dawson Street, will be Lord Mayor of Dublin, Emer Costello.

The Lord Mayor said today: "It is wonderful that the European Union has a visible presence and an open door in the heart of our capital city here in Dawson Street. Celebrating the birth of the EU together makes the 9th of May a unique occasion and helps us remember just how far we have come together."

Director of the European Commission Representation, Martin Territt said: "In the current economic situation, it is more important than ever to build on the achievements of the last 60 years in Europe. We must work together with our EU partners to overcome the crisis and Europe Day reminds us that we are not alone at this difficult time."

Europe Day is held every year across Europe to commemorate the EU's "I have a dream" moment in 1950. On that day, French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman made a speech to the international press declaring that there should be "a coming together of Europe" and a pooling of resources which would make war "not only unthinkable but materially impossible".

This led ultimately to the European Union. 2010 is the 60th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration.

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Full programme below:

1.Open Doors afternoon in European House, 18 Dawson Street, 2.pm to 4.pm
Tea/coffee and an international selection of cakes supplied by the EU Embassies in Dublin to the tune of lively polkas with the North Strand Kontra Band - entry free of charge.

2. Filmbase, Curved Street, Temple Bar, 12pm to 5pm
Compilation of Irish Short Films which have won European Awards.
Filmbase will present free screenings of short films by Irish filmmakers which have won recognition at European level.

3. The National Gallery at 1pm and at 2pm
Free public tours Highlights of the European School of Painting, visiting works by European masters in the gallery’s permanent collection.
Tours are limited to 25 people, and places are filled on a first come, first served basis.
Further details: http://www.nationalgallery.ie/html/exhibitions.html

4. Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane
12pm: Sunday @ Noon Concert features Sephardic music, from the Jewish diaspora which spread around Europe following the Spanish Inquisition ( in the Sculpture Gallery. capacity is 150 people; seats allocated on a first come, first served basis)

1.30pm: Public Lecture on the late Barry Flanagan - sculptor of the leaping hares which were shown on O'Connell street in 2006 (capacity is 70 people; seats allocated on a first come, first served basis) This British-born sculptor of Irish extraction (who later took Irish citizenship) had extensive links with galleries and collections in Europe.

5. IMMA (Irish Museum of Modern Art) 12pm to 5.15pm
Francis Alÿs: Le Temps du Sommeil. Belgian artist Francis Alÿs is a compulsive wanderer, his personal explorations of the cities in which he finds himself form the basis for an eclectic body of work.
A second exhibition Vertical Thoughts features works by four European artists.
Further details: http://www.imma.ie/en/subnav_1.htm