Carracastle Lass Festival celebrates 20-years

Multi-event Carracastle Lass Festival celebrates 20-years


Trevor Quinn

The Carracastle Lass festival continues to entertain, incorporating a diverse blend of personable fun, music, dance and a hint of glamour 20 years after its inception.
Speaking to The Mayo News one of the event organisers Teresa Murphy said the event has continued to remain popular and ultimately gone from strength to strength.
Carracastle hosts The Carracastle Lass in late July every year and Teresa Murphy said it is seen by young women in the locality as a great way to participate in a fun event which provides one of the highlights on the social calendar.
With participants from Carracastle, Roosky, Charlestown, Ballaghaderreen, Swinford, Curry Kilmovee, Kilkelly and Derrinacartha taking part The Carracastle Lass has attracted talented and enterprising young women from all areas of East Mayo.
Murphy said, “A lot of our winners over the last twenty years have emigrated but we’ve hoping to have a lot of our former winners at the show on Sunday night to celebrate 20-years.”
“In the very beginning when we started The Carracastle Lass we held it with a dance and we had our own bar. We always packed out the community centre and over the last 20 years the event has been a massive success. We have had a fantastic response from locals and people in the surrounding areas.”
The Carracastle Lass which began in 1991 was the brainchild of former chairman of Carracastle Community Council Liam Kearns who saw the benefit of organising an enterprising community festival. Over the intervening years the event has provided a plethora of entertainment and craic for contestants and patrons alike.
Sandra Ganley was crowned Carracastle Lass in 2010, while now popular local band Albang ‘n Strummit debuted on the night with the event providing an ideal platform to showcase their talents at the interval.
Mid West Radio broadcaster Tommy Marren will once again act as the distinguished compere while main sponsor Schwarzkop will sponsor each girl and provide them with an abundance of extravagant hair and beauty products.
The Carracastle Lass will celebrate 20 years with a full week of events leading up to the final night on Sunday, July 31 at 9pm. The winning girl on the night will receive a cheque for €300, and there will also be a number of runner-up prizes.