The Westmeath Bachelor is back!

(Above) The Westmeath Bachelor Competition Organising Committee; Shane Barkey, Tomas Nally and Niamh Nally.

Last March Ireland found itself in the most unexpected of circumstances. Most of us will all remember where we were when Leo Varadkar made his now famous speech on the steps of Blair House, Washington DC, to announce the first level of restrictions that would eventually lead to the lockdown of the country.

Just two days before his announcement, the Westmeath Bachelor Competition Committee had announced their decision to postpone their event in light of grave concerns they had about the number of Covid-19 cases in Ireland and a possible pandemic.

The committee had worked tirelessly on the competition, due to be held on March 13, had secured the big names of Louis Walsh, Anne Doyle, Tara O’Farrell and Brian Dowling to judge the contestants, and the stage was set for a show that promised to be a debut spectacle, the first of its kind. But alas it wasn’t to be.

The committee have expressed their gratitude to the public who supported their decision at that time.

Show hosts; Shane Barkey and Sarah Jane Foster.

“It was hard to call,” they said. “Some events were still going ahead at the time. There were many people who were urging us to go ahead.

“We felt, in all conscience, that we couldn’t. People’s lives were at risk and that we cared more about that than about any losses we may have incurred.”

The committee couldn’t have foreseen how wise their decision was in light of what unfolded in the days and weeks to follow.

Since then, they have been working hard, dealing with agents and sorting out contractual arrangements.

They are now delighted to announce that they have secured a date and the event and new festival will go ahead on June 6, 2021.

“We hope the people of Mullingar will come behind us again as they did back in March.

“We know that our country is in recovery and we hope that this will be another way of putting Mullingar back on the map, a boost for our fantastic town that we are so proud to represent.

“We wish the committee and the contestants the best of luck and we look forward to a night of glitz and glamour – which we will all deserve after all we have been through.

“Watch this space because The Westmeath Bachelor is Back!”