Felix Meagher
SONGWRITING tutor Dennis O'Keeffe's induction as a Legend of the Lake and the announcement of a new poetry competition were highlights of the 2006 Lake School launch. Specialising in Celtic music, song and dance tuition, the seventh annual Lake School will be held in Koroit from January 3-8. O'Keeffe became just the fourth person to be inducted as a legend in recognition of his success as a songwriting tutor at the Lake School over the last five years and his work as a performer and songwriter in Irish\/Australian music. Editor of Irish Australian network magazine, Val Noone, attended the launch at Koroit's Mickey Bourke's Hotel on Saturday night to perform the induction. Event creator Felix Meagher said Mr Noone delivered a fantastic speech to the crowd of about 100. "One of the things he said was soul writers like Dennis make us take pride in ourselves," Mr Meagher said. Mr O'Keeffe, who is close to completing a novel on the people, events and south-west connections surrounding the writing of Waltzing Matilda, said it was a great honour to be named as a legend. The Lake School launched its Spud Poets Award, which carries a prize booty of $1000. The open poetry competition requires poets to come up with a poem with a Celtic connection which is no more than 300 words. Entries for the competition close at the end of October and 15 finalists will read their works at a special evening on January 6. Mr Meagher said the competition was inspired by Mary Fiorini-Lowell (nee Bourke) who wrote the poem The Humble Spud, which she recited at the launch. Plans are also under way to establish an annual Celtic music and dance scholarship, which could eventually result in winners being sent overseas for specialised tuition. Mr Meagher said the Warrnambool Four Port Folk Club had wound up its affairs and donated its bank balance of about $1100 to the Lake School, the money to be used to get the idea off the ground.
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