The 51st WR Shaw Queen of the Land Festival takes place at the Bridge House Hotel, Tullamore, this weekend.

The aim of the competition is to celebrate the talents and achievements of Macra members, with personality and rural knowledge being the key elements of the marking criteria. The winner will be selected from 30 regional queens, including a representative from Scotland.

The festival was initiated by the Irish Farmers Journal in 1964 as part of the Kilkenny beer festival. It was taken on by Offaly Macra and has since grown to become one of the highlights on the Macra calendar. This year, for the first time, WR Shaw will be the main sponsors of the festival.

Last year’s winner was Orla Murphy and it’s a weekend she won’t ever forget: “A highlight would have to be the opening night when we met our princess. The little girls had county sashes on for each of the queens and we went on a parade around Tullamore in vintage cars. The queens from the past 50 years had been invited back to the banquet and this, more than anything, made me realise how special an event this is.”

As to this year’s queens, Orla says: “Be yourself and enjoy the weekend, it will be over before you know it. And if you win, take every opportunity that comes your way as the year just flies.”

Listen to an interview with Dublin contestant Paula Melvin in our podcast below:

Caitlin Rigney represents Offaly this year and she is no stranger to wearing a sash, having represented her county in both Miss Macra 2014 and the Rose of Tralee 2013. Despite this, the agriculture PhD candidate says she prefers her wellies to high heels.

Meath is represented by Jill McGuinness who enjoyed organising her wardrobe for the big event. In all, Meath has produced six winners – so no pressure Jill. Laois’s representative Helen Dempsey is already a bit of Macra royalty, having received a Macra Silver Leadership award this year.

But it is not all about the girls. Ronan Phelan, the newly engaged escort of the year 2014 is looking forward to his third time doing the job. He says winning Escort of the Year is a serious business, with escorts known to canvass the ladies for months in advance.

The weekend will see a superb lineup of entertainment kicking off on Friday night with the official opening. On Saturday at 3pm you can meet the escorts in Hugh Lynch’s, while on Saturday night the queens take to the stage for interviews in front of family, friends and supporters. This will be followed by music. On Sunday night, a gala banquet and crowning of the 2015 WR Shaw Queen of the Land will take place. Entertainment on Sunday night will be provided by White Diamond.