Dublin City Council announces eight Luke Kelly Bursary recipients

Dublin City Council has today announced the eight recipients of the inaugural Dublin City Council Luke Kelly Bursary, a new initiative designed to support emerging voices in Irish folk music.

Originally intended to support six artists, the bursary was expanded to eight recipients following the exceptionally strong standard of submissions received from across the country.

Chosen from a significant nationwide response, the eight bursary recipients span generations of emerging folk talent, reflecting the depth and diversity of voices currently emerging within the Irish folk tradition.

The youngest recipients include 10-year-old Johnny Joyce, who attends Mullingar Educate Together National School, and 13-year-old Julia McCarthy Dillon, who attends Mountmellick Community School and is part of Portarlington Comhaltas, alongside 19-year-old Daniel Doherty Ashbourne, Co Meath.

The recipients also include artists in their 20s and 30s, including Finglas musician Jack Nico, Jacqui Ní Fhaoláin from Wicklow, who studied Modern Irish and Music at Trinity College Dublin and holds an MA in Traditional Music Performance from the University of Limerick. Christina Collins from Leap in West Cork, Aoife Maguire, from Marino, Dublin, and works as a primary school teacher in Dublin 9 and David Harris from Blessington, Co Wicklow.

Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Ray McAdam, said, “I warmly congratulate each of the eight inaugural Dublin City Council Luke Kelly Bursary recipients. They should be very proud of what they have achieved. To be selected from such a strong field is a real mark of their talent, their promise and their commitment to the great Irish folk tradition. This year, my theme as Lord Mayor is Celebrating Dublin. That means celebrating Dubliners who have shaped our city, lifted our spirits and carried our stories far beyond our shores. Luke Kelly did that in a way few others ever have. His voice, his music and his social conscience remain part of the soul of Dublin. But celebrating Dublin also means celebrating the next generation. These bursary winners are carrying that spirit forward through song, storytelling, authenticity and heart. Dublin City Council is proud to support them with a bursary, mentorship and a platform at the Luke Kelly Festival in Smithfield, where new voices will stand proudly alongside the legacy of one of Dublin’s greatest.”

These artists represent a new generation of performers rooted in storytelling, authenticity and social awareness, reflecting the musical legacy and spirit associated with Luke Kelly.

Recipients were selected by a judging panel comprising Leagues O'Toole and the team at Foggy Notions, Paula McCann on behalf of the Luke Kelly family, and members of Dublin City Council.

In recent days, the artists took part in a mentorship programme with acclaimed musician George Murphy at Troubadour Studios in Fairview, before performing live at the Dublin City Council Luke Kelly Festival in Smithfield Square on 23 and 24 May.

Each recipient has been awarded a €1,000 bursary, alongside mentorship and a performance platform at the festival, placing emerging talent at the centre of Dublin’s flagship celebration of Luke Kelly’s life and legacy.

Developed by Dublin City Council, the bursary aims to spotlight new voices in the Irish folk tradition, artists who carry forward the storytelling and musical values associated with Luke Kelly.

The Dublin City Council Luke Kelly Festival takes place in Smithfield Square on 23 and 24 May, with a free public programme of live music, discussion and cultural events. For further programming details see www.Dublin.ie/lukekelly

#DCCLukeKellyFestival 
https://lukekellybursary.ie/

ENDS

Photo caption:
Singer George Murphy pictured with emerging folk artists Julia McCarthy Dillon (13), who attends Mountmellick Community School and is part of Portarlington Comhaltas, and Daniel Doherty (19) from Ashborne, Co Meath during the Dublin City Council Luke Kelly Bursary mentorship sessions at Troubadour Studios, Fairview. Both artists are among the bursary recipients who will perform at this year’s Dublin City Council Luke Kelly Festival, taking place on 23 and 24 May in Smithfield Square. Photos Aidan Weldon.