The 36th Blue Jean Country Queen Festival crowned Niamh Sheehy from Kilkenny the 2023 blue jean country queen last Sunday 4 June.

The festival was held in Athboy, Co Meath, over the June bank holiday weekend after a four-year break due to COVID-19.

Niamh Sheehy, from Kilkenny City Macra, is a 24-year-old pharmacist assistant and part-time opera singer and was awarded the top prize of €1,000 from Athboy Credit Union.

The second prize went to Meath's Georgina Malone, also coincidentally an opera singer, who received €500 from Turmec Recycling. Third place went to Lisa Quinn, a civil servant from Clare who received €300 from M & G Groundworks.

Throughout the weekend, 21 queens took part in a hectic and fun-filled weekend which saw them do everything from taking part in on-stage interviews, playing fancy dress football, attending a BBQ with main sponsors, Athboy Credit Union and singing karaoke with the festival organisers and judges.

The festival

The queens took a trip to Causey Farm where they participated in a team-building exercises such as baking bread, peddle giant swan boats and spend time with the pigs, horses and alpacas on the farm. This was followed by an evening music session in Fagan's pub in Athboy.

On Saturday, the queens completed private interviews with the judges – former Macra president James Healy, 2010 Blue Jean Country Queen Celine Arkins and community representative Maeve Lalor.

The winner Niamh and the other queens spent the day at the Athboy Credit Union BBQ and fun day before karaoke in Floods Bar. They finished with on-stage interviews in Darnley Lodge Hotel and followed by live music by Ruaile Buaile.

On Sunday morning the queens gathered at the Darnley Lodge Hotel to prepare for a game of fancy dress football. The match served as the opening event to an afternoon-long family fun day that included live music, children's races, a petting zoo, puppets shows and a toy tractor run. The weekend was wrapped up with the gala banquet where the winner was announced.