A music bursary in memory of late rockstar Dolores O'Riordan has been established to support the careers of musicians in the singer's native Limerick. The €4,000 bursary was launched yesterday by Limerick City and County Council in association with the family of the former frontwoman with The Cranberries.

The bursary will go towards costs relating to the production of a specific body of new artistic work, development of new work for performance, presentation or recording, as well as, relating to improving their musical knowledge through any research or short-term courses or mentoring. The winner will also be allowed to use the funds for costs relating to improving their professional capacity, such as website development, or documentation, or any purpose that contributes to the removal of existing barriers to an artist's development.

Dolores' mother Eileen is thrilled her daughter's achievements had been honoured with a bursary. "I am delighted that Limerick is honouring Dolores in this way and in particular in such an imaginative way", she said. "It's my hope that the Dolores O'Riordan Music Bursary will allow a musician to follow their dreams."

A Council spokesman said the local authority "has been in regular contact with Dolores' mother Eileen and her family to discuss ways that Limerick can remember and commemorate the global superstar". "Following discussions with her family, it has been agreed that The Dolores O'Riordan Music Bursary will be established to support a Limerick professional musician to develop their career", they added.

The closing date for applications, which are available from www.limerick.ie, is Thursday, October 31, 2019.

Dolores O'Riordan drowned in a bath while staying at the Park Lane Hilton, London, on January 15 last year. Her distinctive voice and songwriting talents helped catapult The Cranberries to global stardom in the 1990s.