Amid delightful melody of Beethoven's Ode to Joy, heads of state and government from all the 25 EU members stood to attention as their national flags were raised together with the EU flag at the Irish presidential residence in northwest of Dublin on Saturday, when the EU formally welcomed its10 new members.

On the "Day of Welcomes," the Irish EU presidency hosted a special flag raising ceremony to mark EU's biggest expansion that brings Cyprus, Malta, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia to live in one big family with the 15 existing EU members.

"On this landmark day for the people of Europe, we gather to bid a warm welcome to the ten member states who are joining the family circle, that is the European Union. It is a momentous day of celebration when the past is laid to rest and the future is anticipated with great hope," McAleese addressed the audience at the ceremony in an sublime tone.

"Today we give our children the gift of the biggest European Union for ever. Tomorrow we hope they and their children will craft the best," the president told the sublime ceremony.

Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, who is also the rotating president of the European Council, echoed McAleese as saying: "Today is a Day of Welcomes ... We welcome them with pride. We welcome with hope. We invite all the peoples of Europe to celebrate with us."

"Today's enlargement is the best testimony to the success that is the European Union. We now pledge to build on all that we have achieved together," Ahern told the audience among whom were leaders of Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey, as well as some senior EU officials.

"We will construct closer partnerships, deeper union, enhanced democracy, greater equality and even greater prosperity and well-being," said Ahern, stressing that Europeans would work together for continued peace, for even greater harmony and for increased prosperity for all our people.

To mark the historic event that will see a Europe embracing a total area of about 4.5 million square kilometers and a population of about 453 million, Seamus Heaney, a famous Irish poet who won the 1995 Nobel Peace Prize for Literature, recited a poem named "Beacons at Bealtaine" which he has composed for the special ceremony.

"So on a day when newcomers appear, let it be a homecoming and let us speak the unstrange word, as it behooves us here," said the poet, wishing good luck to the whole European community.

About 400 young people from throughout Ireland were invited to witness the sun-splashed ceremony, which was marked by trumpet fanfares and touching Irish music.

As celebrations were taking place all over the European continent on Saturday to commemorate the historic event that signifies "the re-unification of Europe and the ending of the artificial divisions of the last century," the Irish EU presidency has undertaken a number of exciting cultural events to mark this special day.

At one of Dublin's most beautiful Georgian squares, Merrion Square, people could enjoy the colorful bazaar of marquees and stages making up the European Fair. Marquees from all the EU member states and three pre-accession states, Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey were lining the outside of the park, providing the sights, sounds and tastes of Europe with food, craft, tourism, technology and culture from 28 countries vibrantly represented.

A further initiative of the Irish presidency has been to twin all accession countries with various towns and cities around Ireland, which were hosting artists and performers from the new member states, who would enhance the cultural activity in each locality with singing, dancing and literature recital, as well as culinary delights.

However, Saturday's celebrations were shadowed by reports that said thousands of Irish police and soldiers girded for potential clashes with anti-capitalist protesters who planned to march in protest against a range of European Union policies.

The Day of Welcomes has seen tight security unprecedented in Ireland as reports said that about 5,000 officers and more than 2,000 soldiers had been involved in securing the special event.
 
(Xinhua News Agency May 2, 2004)