Athboy loses out to navan as blue jeans on the move

by Paul Murphy

A controversial decision to uproot the Blue Jean Country Queen Festival from its traditional base in Athboy and move it to Navan has caused dismay in the smaller town where local businesses stand to lose out over the June bank holiday weekend.
The move, which will see significant numbers of visitors heading to Navan rather then the festival’s spiritual home, has also caused deep division in Meath Macra na Feirme, which organises the event. The Blue Jean Festival has been based in Athboy for the past 27 years, since its inception in 1987.
The decision to move the festival, made just before Christmas, was carried by a single vote majority of the 28 people present at a Meath Macra committee meeting.
Cost analysis and surveys of previous festivals was carried out by the Macra organisation over a number of months. A number of factors – including the fact that the festival had 500 less paying visitors to festival events in 2014 than in 2013 - were taken into account in arriving at the decision.
In the lead-up to the December meeting, quotations for accommodation and meals were sought from businesses in the county and the organising committee proposed that the Ardboyne Hotel in Navan be the focal point for the festival. Up to last year, some festival county Macra queen contestants had been hosted by local families.
The decision to change the venue has led to divisions in the Macra organisation. Local businesspeople have also expressed disappointment that the town is to lose the festival, the biggest event in the town in the year.