It's Blue Jeans weekend in Athboy

Nigel Connell, finalist on ‘The Voice of Ireland’ will be among the performers for the 2016 Blue Jean Country Queen Festival this weekend in Athboy.
Organised by Meath Macra na Feirme, the 29th festival runs from Friday 3rd June to Monday 6th June. The committee has worked very hard over the years to make the festival a success and are confident that this year will be no different.
Everyone will be delighted to see the many new attractions that are on offer this year along with the return of some old favourites.
On Friday, Queens vying for this year’s Blue Jean Country Queen title will begin arriving in Athboy from all over Ireland, along with some overseas contestants. The Queens stay with host families in the surrounding area of Athboy who once again generously open up their homes for the weekend.
The festival will be officially opened at 8pm on Friday in the Darnley Lodge Hotel, by Jillian Ennis O’Boyle, the current Athboy Community Person of the Year. The Queens will take to the stage for their interviews where master of ceremonies, Joe Healy will quiz the wgirls in his own quirky style. Following the interviews, there will be dancing with DJ Mark Caffery.
On Saturday afternoon, Athboy will spring into life as the carnival takes over the main street. The popular street Craft Fair from 12pm will give local entrepreneurs and businesses a chance to showcase their goods while the street carnival which commences at 2pm will offer face painting, various sideshows and a host of music and dancing.
From 5pm, the Queens will sing their hearts out as they take to Flood’s Bar for karaoke. In a new addition to Saturday’s fun and games, the Festival’s main sponsors, Athboy Credit Union will be hosting a barbecue in the Credit Union Car Park. From 9pm, the Queens will lead the way in the annual pub crawl. This year, the festival will be bringing a slice of American Pie to the table on Saturday night with our stars and stripes theme – so best to come dressed like you were born in the USA.
The Madisons are back to the Blue Jean Country Queen Festival, with lead singer, Athboy’s own Nigel Connell, fresh from finishing a third in RTÉ’s ‘The Voice of Ireland’ – Nigel and the guys will take the stage in the marquee from 11pm while next door DJ Mark Caffery will be providing the tunes in TABU Nightclub.
On Sunday from 12pm, there will be a heavy dose of childhood nostalgia brought into play for this year’s fancy dress football as the Queens kick off the ‘Lark in the Park’ at the Fair Green dressed as characters from ‘Letterland’. This is only the start of the family friendly fun on Sunday where there will face painting, big slides and many other sideshows as well as free musical entertainment from a number of local bands.
During the afternoon on the Green, the crowd will have the opportunity to view the Queens model a pair of jeans and an outfit of their choice. The winner and runner-up of the modelling competition receive substantial prizes kindly sponsored by Staunton’s Pharmacy, Athboy.
Once evening descends, The Queens, their escorts and supporters head to the Darnley Lodge Hotel for the Festival Banquet, where they will be presented with a memento by festival sponsors David and Hazel Sheridan, proprietors of the Darnley Lodge Hotel.
Just before midnight, the Queens will dash off for a quick change back into their blue jeans and a race down to the marquee where the 2016 Blue Jean Country Queen will be announced. She will be crowned by last year’s winner, Susie Manson from Scotland.
The winner will receive prizes to the value of €1,000 and the title of 2016 Blue Jean Country Queen. She will also receive a locally-crafted tiara. The runner up will receive €500 and third place receives €300. These prizes are proudly sponsored by Athboy Credit Union, Forefront Nutrition and M&G Groundworks and the festival acknowledges their generous support, as well as the continued support of EPM Contracting, Stephens, Cooke and Associates and Firepan Photography and Meath Tourism.
Once the new Queen has been crowned festival favourite, Matt Leavy will kick off a night-long celebration in the festival marquee with dancing til late in TABU.
The judging panel for this year’s festival is made up of Veronica Donohoe, who is no stranger to the festival, former Macra na Feirme vice-president for Munster, Flor O’Gorman, and John Conway, a former member of Macra’s National Executive.
Festival chairperson Siobhán Kearney had a sincere word of thanks to all sponsors, and “in particular, Athboy Credit Union, whose financial support enables us to continue to strive to improve the festival from year to year.”
Siobhán also thanked the Darnley Lodge Hotel which provides the festival with the venue for the weekend’s activities, and the local businesses and people of Athboy for their help and co-operation in making the festival so special.
As the weekend draws to a close Monday will see a final session take place in the Darnley Lodge Hotel from 1pm where the Queens will say their final farewells as another festival draws to a close.