Mrs Ryan lives in Mount Waverley but is well known in south-west Victoria.

Her dancing group is a regular part of Celtic events across Moyne.

This contribution has seen her honoured locally as the Koroit Irish Festival Performer of the Year in 2017 and the Koroit Lake School Legend of the Lake in 2018.

She also regularly holds Irish dance lessons in the Crossley hall.

Mrs Ryan was one of the central characters in the recent Back Roads episode on Koroit that screened nationally on ABC television.

The 89-year-old has been teaching Irish dancing for 77 years and was the first registered Irish dance teacher outside of Ireland and England.

Mrs Ryan said she was overwhelmed with the award.

"It is a great honour and I am very pleased Irish culture has been recognised," Mrs Ryan said.

"I am very grateful to my grand parents who came to Australia from Ireland.

"They passed down that Irish culture of music, song, dance and faith that I have been able to keep going on.

"I am very lucky to be born here in Australia, the best country in the world, and also to have such strong Irish culture.

"I have the best of both worlds."

Mrs Ryan said the Koroit and district area held a special place for the Irish-Australian community.

"When the Irish first came to Australia, Koroit and Killarney were like home, they were able to continue many many aspects of their culture," she said.

"The people of Koroit are still carrying on a lot of that Irish culture and that makes it a very special place."