A taste of the Med for bank holiday

Glorious summer sunshine at the weekend ensured that many bank holiday events across the county enjoyed huge crowds and successful outcomes. in Athboy, the annual Macra Blue Jean festival took place, with entrants from all over the country as well as Britain and the continent, vying for the crown. The sun shone for Scot Jillian McKay, a 24 year-old financial adviser who was crowned the 2009 Blue Jean Country Queen at the end of a very exciting festival. Jillian, a member of Crossroads Young Farmers Club and representing Ayrshire, Scotland, beat off competition from 26 girls from Ireland and France to take the title at the festival last weekend. Receiving €1,500 worth of prizes sponsored by Guinness, she was crowned by the 2008 Queen, Catriona O"Connor from Cork, on Sunday night much to the delight of her fellow Scots who had travelled to Ireland to support her. Runner-up was Aine White, representing South Tipperary, who received prizes worth €750 sponsored by Farrelly Bros Agricultural Contractors. In third place was Offaly Queen Eimear O"Donovan, who won prizes to the value of €350 sponsored by Birds" Centra in Athboy. Over the road, Ballinlough Castle in Clonmellon hosted the Life Festival all weekend, with top DJs, chill-out gardens, art exhibitions, workshops, healing area and the 'Wonderland" section. Acts performing included Future Sound of London, Carl Graig, Green Velvet, Astrix, Goldie, Sebastien Leger, Altern 8, Oscar Mulero, Andrew Weatherall, Daydin, Kindzadza and Caspa. Also in north Meath, Lough Crew Garden Opera hosted one of its most successful operas to date, with its own home-produced production of 'La Bohéme". Under the artistic directorship of former Celtic Tenor Niall Morris, the newly-formed Lough Crew Opera presented the Giacomo Puccini opera. The cast included José Pazos (Rudolfo), Michele Sheridan (Mimi), Claudia Boyle (Musetta), Simon Morgan (Marcello), Nyle Wolf (Schaunard) and John Molloy (Coline). At Tattersalls in Ratoath, the International Horse Trials took place, with a fairytale ending when Cork couple Patricia and Michael Ryan both jumped clear in the final showjumping phase of the event. Patricia Ryan kept her cool to steer the Irish bred Fernhill Clover Mist to a polished clear to take poll position in the World Cup Qualifier, and her husband Michael on the experienced Old Road was one of only two other horses to jump the tough showjumping track clear of penalties to take the runner up spot. Mary King, part of the British Olympic squad, ended in third position on Imperial Cavalier and Polly Stockton was fourth on Westwood Poser. Highest placed Irish young rider was local Sharon Reilly from County Meath on Triple Point. Shane Power, also from Kildare, put in a magnificent performance on Tullibard"s Squaw to finish on his dressage score and win the pony class sponsored by the Dunboyne Castle Hotel and Spa. Joseph O"Brien, son of leading trainer Aiden O"Brien, was second on Ice Cool Bailey and Jane Hanningan on Castleview Rakish Milly was third. The Tattersalls Special Award for the highest placed thoroughbred in each class went to Pippa Funnell"s Blue Horizon, Elizabeth Power"s September Bliss and Kate Harrington"s Shaduragh. September Bliss also won the Tattersalls Graduate Award for the highest placed horse sold through the ring at a Tattersalls sale.