Queen Maeve Looks Forward To Puck

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Twelve-year old Maeve McCarthy, the new Queen of Puck Fair.

IT may be only June, but a hugely popular Kerry festival has already selected their Queen.

With the annual Puck Fair Festival taking place from August 10-12, preparations are already well underway in Killorglin and an integral part of that is the selection of her royal highness, Queen Puck.

The selection process sees an independent judging panel trawl through all the entry letters from 6th class pupils across the region before interviewing each hopeful and hearing them read aloud the famous Puck Fair welcome speech, which is recited during the Coronation Ceremony on the festival’s opening day.

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Well after a tough selection process, 12-year-old Maeve McCarthy from Cromane Lower in Killorglin, has just been crowned as Queen of Puck Fair.

Maeve, a student of Scoil Réalt na Mara in Cromane, will now take her rightful place among a long list of former Puck Queens, each of whom has played a central role in Puck Fair over the decades.

Much like her predecessors, Maeve’s duties will include meeting and greeting visitors to the festival, addressing the crowd in the town’s main square on day one of the fair and of course, the all-important crowning of King Puck during the Coronation Ceremony.

Commenting on her new royal status and her excitement for the festival, Maeve said: “I really can’t believe the committee chose me out of all the entries they received. I’m so happy that they liked my letter and I can’t believe that I’ll get the chance to be Puck Queen, which is something I’ve wanted to be since I was tiny! Puck Fair is a huge part of our lives and it’s really special that I get to play such an important role this year. I can’t wait for the music and the parades and to meet so many people from all over the world during Puck Fair. It’s like Christmas in summer; I don’t think I’ll sleep with the excitement over the next two months!”

The legendary 3-day event, is Ireland’s oldest gathering festival and revolves around the crowning of a wild mountain goat as King Puck and overseer of the town.

The festival’s ancient traditions date back to 1613, but over four centuries later the popularity of this unique event shows no sign of waning, with visitors from all over the globe flocking to Killorglin every August to witness the royal festivities with their own eyes.

For information and updates on Puck Fair 2019, visit www.puckfair.ie or follow @puckfair on Facebook and @puck_fair on Twitter.

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