Mike Finnerty is pictured chatting with some of the ladies competing for ‘Miss Claremorris 2011’ recently. Front, from left: Lynda Naughton (Flynn’s Chemist) and Emer Hall (McWilliam Park Hotel). At back: Jessica Tripp (Tesco), Laura Waldron (Dalton Inn Hotel), Vanessa Quinn (Symmetrix Hairdressers) and Stephaine Hynes (CJ’s Ranch).?Pic: Michael Donnelly
Our man amongst women
This summer our journalists have been trying something completely different. Mike Finnerty decided to swap the discomfort of the press box for a seat at the judges' table at Miss Claremorris.WHEN you spend most of your life working in the ‘Toy Department’ (that’s what some of the more ‘serious’ journalists call us lads in the sports department you know!) most Friday nights follow a fairly predictable pattern.
The weekends are busy and could bring you anywhere from Dublin to Doohoma; so Friday is usually an evening of rest, a chance to spend some quality time with ‘the family’. And apart from keeping the two ladies in our house happy, those nights usually pass off without much incident.
That was until yours truly found himself sitting in the Dalton Inn Hotel last Friday week. At the Judges’ Table. At Miss Claremorris 2011. Not knowing which way to turn. There wasn’t an O’Neills in sight. Not a sign of a weather-beaten colleague or a familiar face.
No, all around me was nothing but manicured nails, the distinctive air of fake tan, freshly-coiffed hair and head-turning dresses of every shape and size. You couldn’t move for fear of being blinded by a dazzling smile or impaled by a high heel.
It was like a cross between the Rose of Tralee and the School Debs. With a touch of Britain & Ireland’s Next Top Model. And maybe just a hint of the All-Ireland Talent Show.
Fish out of water? I was more like a duck in thunder.
So how did someone like me, who spends most of their life either standing on a sideline getting drenched or sitting in a press box getting cold, end up as one of the judges in Miss Claremorris, I hear you ask?
Well, as the Connemara man said, ‘Let the story come to you’.
There are some things you just can’t say ‘no’ to. Things like junkets, freebies, and Premium Level tickets for Croke Park. The latest addition to that list is a request from your Aunt, who just happens to be on the organising committee for Miss Claremorris.
‘Sure it’ll be a bit of craic,’ she said. ‘It’ll broaden your mind,’ she said. ‘Sure what else would you be doing?’ she said. And then the deal-breaker. ‘We’re stuck’.
How could I refuse?!
So it came to pass that Mrs Angelina Nugent (she of Mid West Radio fame), Mrs Celine Finnerty (aka my wife, who filled the role of time-keeper. Seriously!) and I found ourselves interviewing 12 of the nicest, prettiest girls in the county in an office in Claremorris.
There would have been 13 but one took ill earlier on in the day.
Nerves can do strange things to a person. I was feeling a bit shaky myself before the first contestant walked through the door.
After all, what kind of questions should a Miss Claremorris judge ask? They never prepared me for this in Ballinrobe CBS. Or in secondary school. Or even in college!
It’s one thing interviewing a Mayo footballer, but trying to get a handle on a beautician, a trainee hairdresser or a psychology student is a different ball-game entirely.
I decided to keep it simple. ‘What brings you here?’ was my ice-breaker and I finished up with ‘Tell me something interesting about yourself?’. Smooth or what?!
My approach (okay, with more than a little help from Angelina, and the lady on the stop-watch. Who would have thought three minutes can pass so quickly?!) yielded impressive results.
I discovered that Laura Waldron had just passed her driving test, and that Linda Naughton is a weight-lifter in her spare time. Niamh Higgins admitted that, if she won, she’d use the prize money to pay her rent in college, and Amy Byrnes revealed that her father had won Mr Claremorris back in 1983. Megan Higgins, meanwhile, explained her fear of wasps.
After a shaky start, I settled into my stride. Okay, I wouldn’t know if an outfit was from Top Shop or The Pound Shop, but I knew all those years watching the Rose of Tralee with my mother back in the 80s would come in handy.
I was on the look-out for style and elegance. A sense of humour and a good personality. And, of course, trying not to get caught out as a bluffer myself at the same time.
After the interviews came the main event.
The compere Michael Burke threw the ball in (sorry, force of habit) at 11.10pm and the final whistle sounded about an hour later. In between we were treated to a couple of poems, The Green & Red of Mayo on a tin whistle, a few songs from Adele, a rousing rendition of ‘Sweet Home Alabama’, a lovely version of ‘Desperado’ and a burlesque dancing performance. Honest!
The night flew as I made notes, chatted with my fellow judge, and watched Michael Burke flirt with danger (and the girls) in his own inimitable style. There, literally, wasn’t a dull moment.
Coleen Meehan, a charming, confident and striking young woman was the popular winner. Her mum finished second in the competition years ago so it was a proud day for the family.
Coleen has a twin brother and is studying to be a physio in Bradford. (See, I was listening!)
As I left, one of the organisers asked me if I’d judge Mr Claremorris the following week.
‘I can’t,’ I said. ‘I have to cover a match’.
Oh, it was great to be back in the Toy Department!
