The Lady of the Erne 2010..

Lady of the Erne 2010 – Press Release

Mr. Brendan Smith T.D., Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food attended a reception in the Slieve Russell Hotel on Friday May 14th where details of the 2010 Lady of the Erne Contest were announced. The Grand Final of the Lady of the Erne will take place on Friday July 16th 2010 in the Slieve Russell Hotel.

The Lady of the Erne Contest has been part of the annual Belturbet Festival of the Erne since 1991. This year, being the 20th Contest, all previous winners from the past 19 years have been invited to attend, and response from these ladies has been very positive, all of them with fond memories of their reigns as Lady of the Erne and the many friends they made in Belturbet.

The Festival of the Erne opens on Sunday July 25th and continues until Monday August 2nd, with a fun-packed programme of sporting, cultural, angling, musical and dramatic activities for all ages.

Compere for the 2010 Lady of the Erne Grand Final will once again be UTV newsreader Paul Clark, who has presented each of the previous nineteen contests, and has developed a great friendship with the community of Belturbet. He will interview the contestants on stage. An outgoing personality and a pleasant disposition will be the requirement of the judging panel in selecting the winner. Heats are currently taking place all over Northern Ireland as well as in Cavan, Monaghan, Louth, Dublin,
Galway, Clare, Limerick, Cork, Donegal and Leitrim.

Mr. Mark Leonard, Director of the Lady of the Erne Contest, welcomed guests to the reception, particularly the 2009 Lady of the Erne, Leitrim’s Aoife Kelly.
“In this, our 20th year, we are delighted to have once again as main sponsors, Quinn Insurance, a company with local roots, known and respected all over Ireland and abroad. We are deeply indebted to the Quinn family and it’s many employees for their generous support and their courtesy and efficiency at all times. We also acknowledge our many other sponsors, including Jezann’s Boutique, Cavan, Joseph Ribkoff fashions, Cavan Crystal, Belleek Pottery, Waterways Ireland, McQuaid’s Optician’s, and the Woodlands Hotel, Adare.”

The Lady of the Erne began in 1991, the aim of cultivating and promoting cultural crossborder relations in a different way. 20 years later, hundreds of young women, from both North and South, have stood vied for the Lady of the Erne title. Today the event encompasses 15 Counties in Ireland, with contestants and their families travelling from near and far, to attend this prestigious event.

Congratulations to our 2009 Lady of the Erne, Aoife Kelly representing Leitrim.

Mark Leonard, Director of The Lady of The Erne competition with 2009 winner Aoife Kelly.

2009 Lady of the Erne competitors..

A big thank you to all our sponsors; Quinn Direct Insurance, Jezann’s Boutique in conjunction with Michel Ambers Fashion, Cavan Crystal Glass, Belleek Pottery, Slieve Russell Hotel, McQuaids Opticians Belturbet, Lily Pad Florists, Erne Beauty Salon, Emerald Star, Impressions Hair Salon, Tir na Nog Beauty Salon, Woodlands Hotel Adare,Paul Hyde Printing Adare, The K Boutique Adare, Meridian Care Belturbet, Cavan Tourist Association and Fay’s Coaches. Their continued support has insured that The Lady of the Erne is now in its 18th year.

Mark Leonard, Director for Lady Of The Erne is delighted to announce ”’ we will have a new exciting visitor to Belturbet this year for the Lady Of The Erne. yes Ladies Mr. Seamus Moran from RTE’S Fair city and Ros Na Run,Better known as Mike in Fair City will be spending 2 days in Belturbet with the Ladies Of The Erne. Seamus will be on the judging panel this year for the 2010 Lady of the Erne. When Mark Leonard , Director for Lady Of The Erne spoke to recently , Mr. Moran expressed his excitment about the event and looking forward to spending time in the lovely Belturbet.

Seamus Moran, from RTE Fair City ,former Miss Limerick, Ms. Ruth Magner,
Kay Mulchair from Iosabels fashions , sponsor and Mark Leonard, Director for Lady Of
The Erne. Taken recently in Adare, Co. Limerick at the Lady Of The Erne Southern
heats for Limerick, Cork, Kerry.

The Lady of the Erne began in 1991 with the aim of cultivating and promoting cultural crossborder
relations among the next generation. Nineteen years later, hundreds of young women
from both North and South have stood vied for the title of the Lady of the Erne. Today, contestants
and their families travel from near and far to attend the prestigious event.
This event would not be possible without the continued support of our main sponsors
Quinn-Direct Insurance and we would like to acknowledge the sponsorship of Waterways Ireland this year as well. Their support has greatly enhanced the development of the Lady of the Erne into the successful event that it is today.

We welcome these accomplished and talented Irish young women to the Belturbet Festival of
the Erne and we wish them an exciting and entertaining evening in the 2009 Lady of the Erne.

Raffle Prizes
All prizes sponsored by Marie Hoare and members of the Adare Committee in Co Limerick.

Best Dressed
Prizes for the best dressed lady sponsored by Newbridge Silverware. There’s a prize for the best
dressed man on the night too, so get your best bib and tucker on guys!!

The 2009 Lady of the Erne will receive:
• €1,500 sponsored by Quinn Direct Insurance
• €1,250 in fashion sponsored by Joseph Ribkoff in conjunction with Jezann’s Boutique
• Specially commissioned jewellery courtesy of Kate Nee at Absolute Jewellery
• An all expenses paid week stay in Belturbet during the Festival of the Erne
• A specially commissioned piece of Cavan Crystal, sponsored by Cavan Crystal
• A specially commissioned piece of Belleek Pottery, sponsored by Belleek Pottery
• A gift bag containing a range of cosmetics and perfume, sponsored by Cara Pharmacy
• A weekend for two in the prestigious Woodlands Hotel in Adare
• Designer sunglasses, sponsored by McQuaid’s Opticians, Belturbet
• Newbridge necklace presented in memory of the late Leah Meehan
(Leah Meehan was a former organizer along with Hillary Irwin
of the Lady of the Erne in Donegal)
• Bouquet of flowers sponsored by the Lily Pad, Belturbet
• Voucher from Erne Beauty Salon, Belturbet
Each finalist will receive a specially commissioned piece of Belleek Pottery and of
Cavan Crystal and a gift bag of cosmetics from Cara Pharmacy and a piece of jewellery from
Kate Nee of Absolute Jewellery Design

Meet The 2009 Contestants..

The Lady Of The Erne Song
Inspiration for Lady of the Erne Song..

When I was about twelve years old I loved to walk down through the early morning
summer mist of Belturbet Golf Course, and there at the top of the hill would appear
the walls and the ruins of Erne Hill house, which to me at that time was like a
medieval castle. I dreamed up these simple song lyrics a poem if you like as the
kind of story we would read at school. I could probably improve the words and the
storyline but I like the idea that they were originally written through the eyes of
my childhood.

In later years this poem became a song, and in the eighties it won the Trad section
of the Cavan International Song Contest which was televised on RTE, and from there
the song helped to inspire The Lady of the Erne pageant.

Gerry Henderson

Lady of the Erne

As I rambled o’er Lord Erne’s land I heard the curlews cry
In misty early morning time her beauty stirs my mind
And blackbirds scream from hedges green
And call the sun to rise for you
Lovely Lady, lovey lady of the Erne

Chorus

Like the wind she’d ride across these hills
On her steed of silvery gray
Sometimes she’d stroll the Old Fair Green
Sometimes she’d look my way
Oh why so dark and distant when I need your smile today
Lovely Lady, Lovely Lady of the Erne

All alone she cried one cold cold night
The snow fell thick and fast
In written lines by her bedside was
The story of her past
“My Prince took flight, the long years pass
And he never will return”
Time would not heal the Lady’s heart
Sweet Lady of the Erne

Repeat Chorus

The wind it whispers through the hills
Where the weeping willow sighs
The walls lie bare in ruins now against the cold gray sky
Sometimes I see her in my dreams she is shining like the sun
Goodbye farewell my Lady, Sweet Lady of the Erne

Composed by
Gerry Henderson

Winners From The Last 19 Years..

Rolling Back The Years….. Pictures taken 19 years ago

Lady of the Erne Officers 2010

Mark Leonard, Director for Lady Of The Erne 087 9447188 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              087 9447188      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              087 9447188      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              087 9447188      end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Nuala Corrigan, Secretary 049 95 22691/ 0868122110
Marie Hoare , area organiser 087 1247609

These details are subject to change without notice, so please check this site regularly for updates.