NO FEE FOR 1st REPRO Pic credit Julien Behal/No Fee 29/03/2017 Picture shows Poet Professor Brendan Kennelly with President Michael D Higgins at a reception in the Shelbourne Hotel on St. Stephen's Green,Dublin  where he received  the inaugural Kerry Association in Dublin Arts Award.The award was presented to Professor Brendan Kennelly by President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins.  President Higgins presented the bespoke piece of Dingle Crystal to Brendan and in his address, President Higgins paid tribute to his close personal friend and fellow poet. The President spoke of Brendan's 'immense' influence on Irish arts and society.   The Kerry Association in Dublin was established in 1951 and aims to develop the great sporting, literary and cultural heritage of Kerry. 2017 is the inaugural year of the Association's Arts Award which was sponsored by Kerry Group plc and it is intended to be an annual reward, to recognise a Kerry individual's excellence in the Arts. Professor Kennelly was chosen by the selection committee to be the first recipient of the award for his outstanding achievements in Literature. Jimmy Deenihan, former TD and Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, chaired the selection committee.  
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