News

1st Annual Agen/Durr Irish Spirit Award

August 1, 2005

Just prior to our 1st Great American Irish Festival, a fine Irish gentlemen named James Agen of Barneveld passed away after a lengthy illness. On his hospital room wall was a festival poster. He would have loved nothing more than to have made it to our 1st event and laugh with his friends. At that 1st festival, however, was a good friend of his, the eloquent and jovial Irishman Raymond Durr, Esq. of Boonville, who worked tirelessly in support of the festival in any way he could. Unfortunately, Ray passed unexpectedly a few months later. As a tribute to these outstanding Irish friends, two festival committee members, Joe White and Nick Durr, established the Agen/Durr Irish Spirit Award in their honor. It will be awarded annually at our festival in recognition of an individual who has demonstrated some of the qualities of these men. The 1st recipient of this award is Bill Corrigan of Kayuta Lake. Bill is a successful businessman and family man who takes every opportunity to bring smiles to the faces of others. In fact, he can routinely be found dressed as a Leprechaun at area functions dispensing "Irish happiness."