Drumshanbo’s first ever ‘Stylish Silage’ competition unleashed the creativity of locals. Everyone from ‘Donald Trump’ to ‘Mrs Browne’ dropped in to An Tostal Festival’s event to check out the cutting-edge designs last weekend.

A replica of the Cavan and Leitrim narrow gauge railway, located on the site of the old line in Drumshanbo, took the coveted top prize of €300. It was devised by Mary Nugent, Sinead Dolan, Elaine Prior and Virgil Lynch.

The entry titled ‘It’s a Turf Life’, by Shane McGrenaghan and Daire McManus, made the cut as runner-up, winning €200.

‘The Cookie Monster’, which was created by the team at Little Wonders Montessori School, was awarded third prize of €100.

Other entries included depictions of: sheep; cows; a dog; a pig; a spider; fish; and bees.Further inspiration was provided by locally-made beverages, Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin, and Blakes’ Kefir.

Entries that brought colour to the competition included: Batman; Thomas the tank engine; a tractor; an Olympic-style podium; liquorice; a pint of Guinness; a post box; and a vacuum cleaner. A girl with a sash added the glam factor.

A clever play on words was created by the entry ‘Bale 11’, which referenced Real Madrid soccer player, Gareth Bale.

Hugh James Gallagher, Committee Chairman for An Tostal Festival, said the judging panel was overwhelmed by the number and standard of entries. Some 51 entries were judged and the adjudication process took several hours.

An awful lot of effort, time and imagination, went into creating the entries. They all deserved a prize. The response way surpassed our expectations.

“People of all ages took part and it was a big boost to the area. It brought a lot of people into Drumshanbo and a map of all the ‘Stylish Silage’ locations was created,” said Gallagher.

“The local farmers were very supportive to us. They participated in designing their own bales, and also provided bales to the local community groups and to people who had none of their own.”

It will be a wrap for the festival this Saturday, July 8, with a family fun afternoon by the lake. This will include: boat trips; raft building; bouncy castles; Samu wrestling; and Natu the robot. That night, there will be a concert with Jimmy Buckley in The Mayflower.