Francis Barron of Donegal Macra and Karen Rowe of Sligo Macra were crowned Aurivo Northwest "King and Queen" on Saturday night.

The duo were pulled from entrants from across Donegal, Sligo, Cavan, Monaghan, Leitrim, Roscommon, Longford, Mayo and Galway at an event in the Radisson Blue Hotel, Athlone.

The Aurivo event involved daytime workshops and activities where contestants were observed by judges from the co-op, according to Rowe.

All participants were then formally interviewed on the night in front of judges Eiméar Mulvey (Sligo Rose of Tralee) and Cllr Thomas Walsh (Fine Gael) before two winners were selected.

‘Great craic’

Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal on Tuesday, Rowe, a member of Benbulbin Macra, said it was “really an event to pull people together”.

The secondary school teacher is engaged to drystock farmer Brian McNicholas at Ballinacarrow, Co Sligo and says she only joined Macra to get to know people as recently as last October.

Rowe, a Wexford native, said the Aurivo event was “great craic”.

“It was all very lighthearted. It was great to get a little bit of recognition for the work of Macra,” she said.