Blue Jean Queens to Reign in Athboy this June Bank Holiday Weekend

This year's Blue Jean Country Queen Festival will take place in Athboy from 31st May to 3rd June. Rhythm and Sticks and The Druids will headline the festival organized by Meath Macra na Feirme in collaboration with the community of Athboy. The weekend will feature live music, family-friendly entertainment and the coronation of the 2024 Blue Jean Country Queen.

The centrepiece of the festival – the competition to crown the Blue Jean Country Queen will see 24 young women from Ireland and one queen from Latvia - descend upon Athboy for a chaotic and fun-filled weekend. Only one winner will walk away with €1,000 sponsored by Athboy Credit Union, a perpetual trophy and a golden sash. But the Blue Jean Country Queen Festival organisers place far more emphasis on having a good time than on competition. The queens will be welcomed into the heart of the local community, stay with local families, take part in a karaoke competition, play fancy dress football and a whole lot more.

The queens will first arrive at the Causey Farm on the afternoon of Friday 31st May where they will enjoy a fun team-building exercise to help them break the ice and settle a few nerves before they head back to Athboy to meet the host family they will be staying with for the duration of the festival - and pick up that all-important sash that they will wear all through the weekend.

That evening the festival begins with the official opening in the Darnley Lodge Hotel, followed by a pub crawl. The festival swings into gear Saturday with Athboy Credit Union’s annual BBQ and Fun Day from 2 pm and the Karaoke competition in Flood’s Bar from 3pm. That evening in The Darnley Lodge Hotel, the evening starts at 7pm the queens' interviews sponsored by McNamara Feeds, where the queens will be put through their paces by iRadio's Conor Woods. This will be followed by music from midlands-based live act Rhythm and Sticks followed, in turn, by DJ Woods.

On Sunday, the queens will march in fancy dress to Athboy’s Fair Green for The Lark in the Park, a family fun day that begins with the queens playing a game of Barbenheimer-themed fancy dress football at 12.30 pm. The afternoon will feature live music from The Sandmen and Tunesday, as well as children's entertainment, food stalls, a pet farm and the return of the Mini-Tractor Run sponsored by Meath Farm Machinery Ltd. All children registered will be in with a chance to win a battery-operated ride-on John Deere Gator.

That evening, the queens, committee, sponsors and other dignitaries will gather at the Darnley Lodge Hotel for the Gala Banquet. Upon the stroke of midnight, the entire weekend comes to a conclusion with the announcement of the 2024 Blue Jean Country Queen. The 2024 queen will receive the perpetual cup and tiara as well as €1,000 from Athboy Credit Union. The second prize winner receives €500 from Turmec Recycling Solutions while the third prize will be awarded (€300) courtesy of Farrelly Tree Services.

The new queen, her supporters, the committee and fellow contestants will then celebrate with music from the award-winning Kildare folk band The Druids followed by DJ Woods. The task of choosing the 2024 Blue Jean Country Queen will fall to a team of judges. The panel will include returning judge Maeve Lalor, who has years of experience organising community and business events as part of the Bank of Ireland Enterprise programme, and Catherine Flood, a former winner of the International Miss Macra competition.

Reflecting on her year as queen, current Blue Jean Country Queen Niamh Sheehy, a singing teacher and wedding singer from Kilkenny said: "It's hard to express in just a few words what it has meant to me being crowned the 2023 Blue Jean Country Queen." She continued “The Blue Jean Country Queen has truly given me friends and memories for life that I'm so exceptionally grateful for."

When asked about the highlights of her year as queen, Niamh replied: "The Blue Jean Country Queen Festival has opened doors for me all around the country, from attending fundraisers, banquets, and titles nights where I got to help choose some of this year's Blue Jean Queens. As well as well, being a dignitary in the Athboy St. Patrick's Day Parade which was such a highlight for me.”

She also offered advice to the 2024 queens: “Enjoy every moment.”

Speaking at the festival launch in Causey Farm, current Blue Jean Country Festival chair, Paul Gill, a member of Longwood/Kilyon Macra, thanked the community of Athboy for all their continued support. “The community of Athboy really rallies around the festival. This is the second year we have worked closely with our Athboy Community Committee and we are proud to collaborate with such a dedicated and community-driven bunch of people who have a real love for the Blue Jean Country Queen Festival."

He also thanked the prize sponsors and businesses of Athboy. "We would like to thank Athboy Credit Union for their ongoing support as our main sponsor. We are delighted to welcome Turmec back as a 2nd Prize Sponsor. We're also excited to have Patrick Farrelly on board as 3rd prize sponsor for 2024. We would also like to thank David and Hazel Sheridan of Darnley Lodge Hotel, and all local businesses of Athboy - as a volunteer-led festival we are grateful for their support”.

For more information visit their website: www.bluejeancountryqueen.com