Gallery: Out and about with the Mary's from Dungloe

The Mary from Dungloe International Arts Festival is well and truly up and running.

And the countdown is now on to the highlight of the festival - the crowning ceremony on Sunday in Ionad Spoirt na Rosann with compere Daniel O’Donnell.

Last weekend, the festival celebrations got off to a great start despite some mixed weather.

And all week, the Marys have been out and about, visiting a host of locations around the county - including Dungloe, Letterkenny and Sliabh Liag. As you can see from the photographs taken by Mary Rodgers, the Mary’s have been loving the experience.

The Mary's meet a local barman in Letterkenny 

In its 55th year, the Mary from Dungloe is  Ireland’s longest running festival. Entrants include Irish diaspora, those of Irish heritage and those involved in their local Irish community. It is not a beauty pageant as the women involved are not judged on their appearance, but on their personalities and personal achievements. They serve as ambassadors for the festival and their communities. 

The packed programme of events continues over the coming days and hopefully the weather will be kind so that the big crowds can enjoy the outdoor entertainment.

Each night local, national and international bands and musicians perform open air, live on the Gig-Rig. This year’s line-up include Daniel O’Donnell, Muttley Crew, Shawn Cuddy, The Atlantic Ramblers, Jake Carter, Eimear Rebel and many, many more. 

The Mary’s are

Shannon Hester - Bayonne Mary

Caroline Galvin - Belfast Mary

India Kennedy - Donegal Mary

Ann-Michelle McConalogue - Dublin Mary

Elizabeth (Libby) McCole - Dungloe Mary

Shauna Ní Dhochartaigh - Gaeltacht Mary

Ciara Gallagher-Murphy - Glasgow Mary

Caitlin Finn - London Mary

Saoirse Moloney Stevenson - New York Mary

Olivia Lisokwsi - Philadelphia Mary

Sarah Lawlor - San Francisco Mary

Kaitlyn Likas - Washington DC Mary

Sinéad Harte - Wild Atlantic Way Mary