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Yesterday marked the ‘Day of Welcomes’ to celebrate historic EU Enlargement in Ireland, the country currently holding the presidency of the European Union.
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi was present in Dublin for the first formal gathering of all 25 leaders of the enlarged Union, which was officially constituted yesterday, marking the re-unification of Europe and the ending of the artificial divisions of the last century.
Celebrations are taking place all over the continent to commemorate the biggest expansion in the history of the European Union, and to welcome Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia as new members of the EU.
To celebrate the day the Irish Government undertook a number of exciting cultural events to extend a 'Day of Welcomes' to the new Member States.
A further initiative of the Irish Presidency has been to twin all the accession countries with various towns and cities around Ireland. These towns hosted artists and performers from the new member states.
Waterford hosted a day of celebrations with Maltese cultural themes. Waterford Spraoi is one of Ireland's leading street theatre companies who, along with other events throughout the year, hosted the country's largest street theatre festival. For this historic occasion, Spraoi worked with other local groups Hullabaloo, the John Robert's Festival and Waterford Youth Drama to present a citywide celebration of Maltese culture.
Maltese folk group Etnika also hosted a music workshop. Other Maltese artists included the Cameo Folklore Dancers.
The 4th International Hullabaloo Children's Festival presented the official launch of "I Live", an inter-cultural photographic project, involving post-primary students in Waterford and Malta, 100 cameras and 500 people.
Architect Richard England lectured on Maltese architecture.
Fáilte Malta was a project featuring Waterford City Schools Choir and the Waterford Youth Orchestra, singing Irish and Maltese songs and anthems at the Christchurch Cathedral. At John Roberts Square, a specially constructed large-scale stage in the city centre featured a replica of the Auberge de Castille.
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