The Westmeath Bachelor is back

Bachelor competition to launch ‘Green Fest’ weekend for St Patrick’s 2020

Photo shows, Tomás and Niamh Nally The Westmeath Bachelor Competition and Ball event managers, and Shane Barkey, The Westmeath Bachelor Competition and Ball show director and host.

It’s back! The Westmeath Bachelor Competition, one of the county’s most famous and recognisable events, is back for 2020, under a new guise.

Promising to be everything The Rose of Tralee is not, the organisers are hoping to put St Patrick’s Weekend in Mullingar firmly on the map nationally. The competition directors, Tomás and Niamh Nally and Shane Barkey have been in the planning stages of the show for more than six months, and with the launch of the event imminent, they say the judging panel is second to none.

The Westmeath Bachelor Competition will be the signature event of the

proposed St Patrick’s Weekend ‘Green Fest’, which they hope will become an annual attraction nationally.

Building on the success of the well established Mullingar Half Marathon, the team want to entice those visitors, and many more, to

stay for the whole St Patrick’s weekend and make Mullingar the destination to visit for the national holiday.

The ‘Green Fest’ Committee is made up of over 20 individuals, many of whom are local business people, creating events that will benefit both business and community.

Continuing the ‘Green theme’, the organisers have teamed up with Mullingar Tidy Towns to add an environmental aspect to the weekend, providing education and exposure to environmental issues, within a festival atmosphere.

The weekend will open on Friday March 13 with The Westmeath Bachelor Competition and Ball in The Mullingar Park Hotel. Saturday March 14 will start with a Children’s Tea Party in Mary Street, tug-o-war on Dominick Street and Crowd Karaoke on The Market Square. Sunday March 15 will bring ‘Beef to the Heels’ back to the town centre with a BBQ food bonanza in the Town Park.

Along with these signature events, others include a 5-a-side soccer tournament, a bed push and tractor and motorbike run all to raise funds for Mullingar hospital.

Environmental talks for business and the public from renowned guest speakers will be organised to help everyone improve sustainability and lower costs for the community.

Finally, St Patrick’s Day will be marked with a firework display. (All events are subject to the relevant permissions and licenses at this time).

The directors of the Westmeath Bachelor Competition are keeping tight lipped about the A-list names who will be judging on the night, saying only that two will be male and two female.

All will be revealed as the official website, www.westmeathbachelorcompetition.ie, goes live on Tuesday October 22. The website will be the base for both the Green Fest and Westmeath Bachelor Competition, handling all registration and ticket sales.

The bachelor competition in its day was known nationally as a traditional, laid-back event that celebrated the male of the ’80s, whereas this time, the team want to recognise the modern male image.

With this in mind, they have resurrected the competition, drawing inspiration from the past but promoting a modern, inclusive male presence.

The long-term plan for the renewal of the competition will be to bring it to a TV audience in three years and eventually to be the male rival to The Rose of Tralee Festival.

The three directors say: “Historically Ireland has looked to our female population to find an individual who is polished, poised, has a social conscience and is able to represent themselves on a national stage. Now it is the turn of the gentlemen to shine.

“This all-inclusive event naturally welcomes and invites men of all orientations and backgrounds to represent a new Ireland!”

The organisers are hoping to secure entrants from every county and from abroad, looking for 12 of the finest eligible bachelors to battle for the top prize of €2,000 worth of shopping in Mullingar, a holiday worth €1,000, €500 for their chosen charity, and the signature Westmeath Bachelor Trophy – along with the title of Westmeath Bachelor 2020.

The ladies will also have a chance to impress on the night as the organisers are seeking 12 female chaperons to accompany the finalists, and the best dressed of those will also benefit from a generous prize on the night.

Following the event there will be a black tie ball and dancing into the early hours at the Mullingar Park Hotel.

With four of the biggest names in Irish celebrity circles on the judging panel, tickets for the event will be in demand as soon as the website goes live, so buy early as no additional tickets will be added.

With only seven days to the official launch, the names of the four judges are being revealed this week (here).

And if you know of an eligible bachelor who is brave enough to take the stag, watch this space…