Minister for Science and Technology Jimmy Devins said the successful bid for the event would “provide a platform to showcase the best of science and research being carried out in Ireland across all disciplines”.

It is also a unique opportunity to promote the value of investing in science with true consequences for the daily life of the citizen and to showcase modern Dublin to our international partners, he said.

Lord Mayor of Dublin Eibhlin Byrne, who travelled to Strasbourg and Stuttgart with the delegation making Dublin’s bid for the event, said: “This event will... make Dublin a living ‘science lab’ which can only encourage our young people into sciences.”

Eoin Ryan MEP congratulated the Government and the organisers on their successful bid.

"Dublin beat off the very tough competition from Vienna to win this award. This is a great opportunity to show to the world the advances that Dublin third-level educational institutions and our commercial sector have made in the areas of sciences, research and technology.

"The winning of this award will attract thousands of people to Dublin city," he said.

This year, Barcelona hosted the third such event, which is organised by the European Association for the Promotion of Science and Technology. In 2010, Turin will be European City of Science. (Sources: Irish times, Irish Independent and other)