A bridal shower? No, it’s the Galway Races
IT’S not the best sign if your bride runs a mile – but these plucky women were at least only running a furlong and it was all in aid of charity at the Galway Races.
The gallant contenders raised around €10,000 for the Special Olympics in the Bridal Race on the first day of the week-long festival yesterday.
Dressed in white, 30 brides swapped the aisle for a 200metre race – or one furlong – to make good use of their old and borrowed gowns.
The event, an hour before the first of the official races at yesterday’s festival proved extremely popular and Michelle Cawley, from Sligo, was the first bride past the post, closely followed by Lynn Sampey, from Castlerea, Co Roscommon. Both women work for the Special Olympics and winner Ms Cawley kindly gave her prize of a weekend at a Connemara Hotel away to her friend, Ms Sampey.
A spokesman for the Special Olympics said: ‘It was a spectacular event. Everyone was smiling and laughing. This really was the best way to kick the festival off. These women have not only had a great time, they have helped raise much-needed funds for the Special Olympics.’
The money will go towards hosting the national Special Olympics in Limerick in June 2014. Mairéad Ní Chuaig, from TG4, who kicked the race off, said: ‘It is a fabulous event supporting a fantastic charity.’
Elsewhere during the first day of the festival in Ballybrit, style took precedence at usual. Ladies chose polka dots, hats and heels to compete in the fashion stakes. Zara McDaid, from Dublin won the ‘most appropriately dressed lady’ competition on day one.
On the track, the thousands attending the first day of the races saw a double from trainer Tony Martin who won the day’s feature race, the Connacht Hotel (QR) Handicap with Edeymi.