The first island fair in a quarter of a century took place on Arranmore Island on August Bank Holiday weekend
The Rose Of Arranmore Festival made a welcome return to the island after 17 years on August bank holiday weekend. The festival began with angling at Aphort and Pollawaddy on Friday. On Friday night there was a great event at the community centre interviewing the roses and their escorts. Hugh Nancy Rodgers did the interviewing on stage. There was private interviews by judges backstage.
Music was by Declan Gallagher and a jazz band from Dublin called Jawbone. Declan was in a band on the island called The Castaways in the 1960s. On Saturday a sports day and fair day took place at Rannagh. It was over 25 years since there was a fair day on the island. Despite the bad forecast the weather was great for during the festival. That evening the final of The Rose Of Arranmore took place in a beautiful setting of the shorefront in Leabgarrow.
Brian Proctor was voted by the Roses as escort of the year 2023. Erin McCafferty was chosen by the judges as The Rose Of Arranmore. Both Brian and Erin were representing CFFAM. There was a great sports day and regatta on Sunday which marked the end of the festival. There were individual and team time trials for skiffs. Many events took place among which was a tug-of-war for both men and women.
