The Lady of the Moy competition has been a feature of Ballina Salmon Festival for many years now. The role of the winner is to represent Ballina Salmon Festival during festival week, and act as an ambassador for the town of Ballina throughout the following year – a great honour for the winning lady! Our 2017 Lady of the Moy, Thérese Ní Láimhín shares her account of her year here. 

“My experience as Lady of the Moy 2017 has been thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding.

The week of the Ballina Salmon Festival was definitely my favourite week of the summer. Being chosen as Lady of the Moy was an exciting accolade and wonderful privilege.

I really enjoyed dressing up for Heritage Day and fair play chaperone and festival Chairman Billy Lewis who also suited up for the fun-packed day, thanks to the Ballina Costume Company. A special thanks as well to all of those who dressed up and added great colour to this memorable day. I got the chance to do interviews for Mid West Radio and Sky TV and they were great fun.

The Night at the Proms was an occasion to be remembered with so many talented people from Ballina performing in the Great National Hotel.

Being involved in children’s events such as ‘Teddy Bears Picnic’ and having a boogie at the ‘Over 55’s Tea Party’ gave me the opportunity to meet with people from the community and to enjoy a chat and a laugh with them. I also had the privilege to sing and play on stage at the ‘Irish Traditional Night’.

On the final evening of the week-long Festival I had the special honour of leading the magnificent Mardi Gras Parade through the town of Ballina.

Later in the year, I took part in a fashion event raising awareness and money for the ‘Adi Roche Foundation’ which helps children who are still suffering from the disaster that occurred in Chernobyl. I also visited local nursing homes in Ballina and enjoyed meeting with the residents and staff and having a sing along with them.

I have learned and experienced so much by being part of the Ballina Salmon Festival as Lady of the Moy.  I would like to thank Gerry and Siobhan Moran at the Station House Hotel team for entering me as the hotel’s representative. A big thanks to Martha and her team at Allure Hairdressing, Ballina for all the beautiful hair styles during this eventful week. I will be forever grateful to Mary Moyles of the Broken Jug Ballina and the hard-working team involved in the organisation of the Ballina Salmon Festival.”

If you’d like to enter the 2018 Lady of the Moy, just send a private message to the Facebook page here!