Red-y for off

THE eagerly awaited Irish Derby took place at The Curragh racecourse recently and aside from showcasing three days of fine horseracing, the event is also noted for its style.
As ever, the fashion stakes were high at the festival and Gorey woman, Niamh Canavan was deemed the Most Stylish Lady and presented with a prize of a five-star holiday to Dubai, plus a shopping spree at Dubai Duty Free, by Breeda McLoughlin from Dubai Duty Free.
The judges charged with the difficult decision of selecting the winner were celebrity chef, Rachel Allen; television and radio presenter Mairéad Farrell and Melanie Morris editor of Image magazine, who appear to have quite similar tastes.
Niamh wore a pale pink dress and jacket by Irish designer Heidi Higgins, her hat was by Philip Treacy (whose creations have proved particularly popular since their prominence at the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton) and her shoes and handbag were from LK Bennett.
There were nine runners-up in the competition and each received vintage silver oval bracelets by Helen Fitzpatrick for Tipperary Crystal. However, the prize was not the only thing many of the women had in common. A major summer trend emerged, as five of finalists donned pale, neutral colours, two looked striking in bright red, with the remaining runners-up opting for hints of red, black and neutral pastels.
Sarah Kelly from Grange, County Limerick, along with Barbara Roche from Mallow, Katherine Lundon from Mullingar, Áine Bergin from Kilkenny, Caroline Brennan from Dublin, Jane Mulrooney and Jean Sorohan from Dublin, Liz Maher from Carlow and Susan McGarry from Sligo made it through to the final 10.
Speaking after being crowned most stylish lady, Niamh Canavan said, “I’m delighted. I didn’t even expect to be spotted today, let alone win.”