Imelda May - I nearly fell off my seat over music scholarship

The Imelda May Scholarship is worth €12,000 and will allow one student to study on the four-year BA (Hons) in Commercial Modern Music at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute (BIMM) which is based in the Liberties.

Imelda (40) said she was thrilled there was more opportunity for working-class people.

"I nearly fell off my chair when I heard they were naming a scholarship after me. I was delighted," she told the Herald.

"I think it's great because there aren't a huge amount of working-class people in the music industry so maybe someone will hear my voice and see I'm associated with it and they'll be encouraged to go for the scholarship."

The valuable scholarship will be open to all successful applicants who apply for a place available at BIMM Dublin this September through the CAO system (deadline 5.15pm on Sunday, February 1, using course code DT506).

The application process also includes a practical audition.

impressed

Liberties native Imelda, will work with the college to decide which lucky student will receive the scholarship.

"The students were so passionate when I went down, I was so impressed," she said.

"I wish a course like that had been around when I was younger. I got loads of knock backs when I was starting out but I like to think it made me who I am," she added.

hnews@herald.ie