I’ve been presented with the Outstanding Contribution To Live Music Award 2023 by IMRO, and I’m shocked and stunned.

Thank you all so much for the lovely comments and messages on Clara’s posts and by text and email and old fashioned phone messages (Olaf xx).

I won’t lie. It is a really nice feeling to be recognised by my peers for this work, as I often don’t really have much of a barometer to go by. But I am quite stunned. Thank you all again. It means a lot.

I don’t do most of this stuff on my own of course, so I think it only right and proper that a few names get included here, including many of the partner organisations that help with this very rewarding work at Garageland.

Clara Hamill Lambert, Klara Rita McDonnell

Robert O’Connor, Craig Kingma, Grace McDonnell Eleanor McEvoy Music, Paul McLoone

Fibber Magees, The Sound House Cdysb Noble Maurice City of Dublin Youth Services

CreativeIrl RTE 2XM RTÉ 2fm, Clare Lambert, Sean Lambert Maurice Noble, Grainne Lord-bissett, Samantha Mc Caffrey, Jackie Hayden, Willie Ryan, Willie Kavanagh, Liza Geddes, Roddie Cleere, Shannon Keenan, Kyle O’Neill, John Muldowney, John Byrne, Ayanna Church, Feachtas _Óg-Ghluaiseacht na Gaeilge, Fyrc Finglasyouth, SWAN Youth Service

Colm Slattery, Joe Fitzgerald, Patrick Fogarty

Wicklow County Arts Office, Waterford Arts, Donegal County Council Meath County Council Kerry County Arts, Tipperary County Council Library Service, Music Generation Cavan / Monaghan Cavan County Council Monaghan County Council CraneLane Cork The Spirit Store Sound Training Westmeath County Council Glen Bollard Photo