Shauna is the Queen of the Fair
IT’S a hectic week for the Queen of the Ballinasloe Fair Shauna Finnerty.
The 24-year-old is combining her work as a staff midwife at Portiuncula Hospital with her duties as the Queen of the Fair.
Shauna, who represents Padraig Pearses GAA Club, was chosen over nine other contestants and so far has enjoyed her experience.
Shauna, from Ardnaglug, Ballinasloe, has been a regular to the fair all her life but now sees it from a different perspective.
“It is an amazing experience so far. It makes me see all the work that goes into it. Visitors are coming to the fair from all over the world,” she said.
The event kicked off on Saturday and she enjoyed wearing the crown and sash and meeting and greeting locals and visitors to town over the first weekend.
She enjoyed watching the lunging and also got the opportunity to judge one of the pony competitions.
This week she will attend the tug-o-war, the soap box derby, a heritage talk and will also judge one of the categories in the dog show on Sunday.
She is eagerly anticipating Saturday in particular, Country Fair Day.“Saturday is a big day. I am looking forward to it,” she said.
Shauna has had a busy year with Padraig Pearses. She was on the senior camogie team that lost the county final to Four Roads, while she also played on the intermediate football team that won the county final recently and is now preparing for the Connacht quarter-final.
Meanwhile, the fair and festival committee was happy with attendances over the weekend. One of the highlights was the visit by a group from the twin town Chalonnes-Sur-Loire in western France. They brought a band over and played at the festival gig rig on Sunday.
There were also visitors from Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands.