The poet John Montague is to hold the first Ireland Chair of Poetry. This unique position, set up by the Arts Councils north and south of the Border, together with three universities, is the first ever cross-Border academic chair.
Nominations for the post, which is worth £20,000 a year, were solicited from the general public in February. The position was set up to honour Irish achievements in poetry and particularly that of Seamus Heaney.
Mr Montague will work for an academic term in the three participating universities: TCD, UCD, and Queen's University, Belfast.