Saw this on the IMRO website and just thought I'd post it for y'all. CORK have The Banks, Dublin have their Rare Auld Times and Limerick is A Lady but what does Carlow have? Well it seems a group of Carlovians are planning to put that right by launching the competition, A Song for Carlow, which aims to give Carlow its own musical identity. The competition, with a prize fund of 7,500 Euro and many extras, was launched before Christmas and is running in association with main sponsors CLG Builders and IMRO, in association with Carlow Archaeological and Historical Society and The Nationalist. A fantastic array of prizes awaits the winner including 5,000 Euro, a CD recording and a TV Appearance. RTE musical director Ollie Hennessy, himself also a Carlow native, will oversee the selection process while famed songwriter Pete St John will act on the judging panel. The competition will culminate in a gala concert night in early 2005 during which 10-12 songs will be chosen by a jury from the original number of entries to perform on the night. This is a song-writing competition open to all amateurs, semi-professionals and professionals. Entries are not confined to Carlow natives or Carlow-based artists, but lyrics must include Co. Carlow placename(s), landmark(s), or any other local features. Entries must be written in the musical style of folk, ballad, Irish trad or easy country music, not contemporary music, while the maximum duration per song is four minutes. For further information visit: www.carlowtourism.com