Galway, Ireland - Local firms dig deep to sponsor 55th Pearl event

Winner Olga beats off stiff competition

Despite the pressure on businesses in the recession, some 13 of them put their hands in their pockets to sponsor an entrant for this year’s pearl competition for the Galway Oyster Festival.

Olga Linnane beat off stiff competition to win the Oyster Pearl of the 55th festival. Olga, from Ardrahan, is the daughter of Owen and Siobhán Linnane and represented Linnane Coaches, the company owned by her father. The 20-year-old is studying Business and Event Management in Limerick Institute of Technology and was selected as the Gort Rose earlier this year.

She was a popular entrant with the 250 guests who attended the pearl selection event at the Ardilaun last Friday after making a cocktail for her party piece.

Festival coordinator Ann Flanagan said it was a very difficult decision to choose this year’s winner as all the entrants were” very talented and very well-mannered”.

Olga just about edged out the other girls with her “fantastic personality and lovely easy-going manner”, reflected Ann.

Six of the city’s hotels, as well as Supermacs, Morans on the Weir and the Junior Chamber of Commerce, were among the companies which sponsored a pearl, who becomes the face of the festival and will lead the parade. She took home an array of prizes, which included a string of cultured pearls, a cash prize of €500 and a crystal trophy.

So far ticket sales are on a par with previous years, despite worries that the move away from the traditional marquee in the Claddagh to the Radisson Hotel - due to the cost of hiring the tent - would deter regular visitors.

Punters are sure to be happy with the ticket price for the Guinness World Oyster Opening Championship on Saturday afternoon, which has been slashed to €55 from €100 last year.
“We don’t have as many corporate bookings, which is the same for every event in the country. But we have a lot of Europeans and many British visitors, who come every year. We will have less capacity for the banquet but the same for all other events so we’re doing very well so far,” said Ann.

Source: www.galwaynews.ie