THE 2016 Eamonn Kelly bursary recipients were announced at a presentation at Killarney Library on Thursday evening and a singer and an actor were the recipients.

The joint winners are Grace Foley, a singer and musician from Killarney and Darragh Guerin, an actor from Beaufort.

Grace intends to develop her career as a singer and plans to launch a CD called Home to Kerry, a classical crossover album of beautiful songs about Kerry.  ‘I am thrilled and delighted,’ said Grace, ‘the partial bursary will be a great help to me.’

Darragh hopes to attend a full time year-long acting for screen course in Dublin later this year – “Acting is the only career I ever wanted to pursue. The course will increase my skills, helping me to find work and an agent,” he said.

The Eamon Kelly bursary is funded by Kerry County Council and aims to support arts development in the Killarney Municipal District. The bursary has been in existence for over 10 years and continues to support arts development, encouraging high standards of arts practice in music, song, dance, film, drama and visual arts.

The bursary honours the memory of Eamon Kelly, the actor and Seanchaí, whose village of Gneeveguilla is included in the Killarney Municipal District. His sister, Bríd Sugrue said; “The family is delighted that the bursary keeps Eamon’s memory alive. He was passionate about the arts.”