40th Annual Queen of the Land Launches
Pre Festival News Round Up
(07/11/05 - Press Release Below, Queen Information, Gallery Updated, Accomodation, Schedule of Events, Sponsors, New Page: Festival Entertainment)
40th Queen of the land to launch this week
The press launch for this years 40th Queen of the Land Festival takes place this Friday night in the Bridge House Hotel. The festival celebrates its ruby anniversary this year with a packed line-up of entertainment throughout the town over the weekend of November 11th-13th. A special gala banquet is also being arranged for the Friday night of the weekend welcoming back all the previous queens who have ruled over the years.
The festival has gained a new premier sponsor for the event, The Journal section of the Farmers Journal, which contitutes a return to the origins of the festival in that the festival was originally initiated by the Farmers Journal forty years ago. Emmett Malone from the Journal says he is delighted to be able to get on board with the festival and that he is expecting a lively weekend in the Offaly capital.
Festival Chairman, Nigel Larkin will be the M.C. on the night, which will begin with a drinks reception at 8pm. Also on hand will be the judging panel for this years contest. They are Emmett Malone, Editor of The Journal, the reigning Queen of the Land, Catherine McCollum from Cavan and a special guest judge to be announced on the night. A number of this years contestants will also be in attendance.
Once again this years festival will have an international element with Queens representing Germany and England. There will be a wide variety of queens competing this year including students, teachers,managers and even a Chromatography Lab Analyst. Nigel Larkin is looking forward to this years event which he believes will be the best year of the festival ever. "We have pulled out all the stops to make this year special. No expense has been spared to bring the best entertainment to Tullamore the second weekend in November" he said.
The festival has joined forces with the Tullamore vintners to ensure that all the entertainment venues around Tullamore will be buzzing over the three days and nights of the festival.