Derry City Council is to bid to become the Irish City of Culture in 2018.
Derry councillors have backed a motion by Sinn Fein Councillor Barney O’Hagan that they seek an “urgent meeting” with Stormont’s Cultural Arts and Leisure Miniaster Carál Ní Chuilín to discuss the logistics of their bid.
Cllr O’Hagan’s motion won all-party support after an amendment by DUP Alderman Devenney that the bid would include all communities and politics would play no part in the process.
Cllr O’Hagan said: “I believe we should capitalise now while the positive impression which Derry created throughout the country and internationally is still fresh in the minds of people by preparing a bid for the ‘Irish City of Culture’ title at the earliest available date.
“I believe that it is now the opportune time for Derry to put together a serious bid to be the subsequent ‘Irish City of Culture’.”
Meanwhile, the Republic’s Department of the Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht said it had no plans at present to run the event on an all-Ireland basis and that Northern Ireland had access to its own city of culture programme.
Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan announced in July this year that Limerick would next year be the first National City of Culture.
The aim of the National City of Culture – to be held every two years – is to deliver a programme of cultural events and seek to bring artists, arts organisations, local authorities and civic groups that are working in a city together through the design of a calendar of events.
Limerick’s year-long celebration of culture, both local and international, kicks off on New Year’s Eve when Cranberries front woman Dolores O’Riordan will headline a concert in front of City Hall.
The Ballybricken rock star will be joined by the Irish Chamber Orchestra. A crowd of nearly 3,000 people will attend the ticket-only gig which is to be broadcast by RTÉ.
January will will also see Limerick host the launch of the eagerly-awaited 20th anniversary Riverdance world tour.
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