Culchie fest takes on raunchy twist

If you thought Riverdance made Irish culture sexy, then brace yourself.

Wild wellie-wearing rural rogues from around the country will raise temperatures and set pulses racing as Cork prepares to host the raunchiest ever All-Ireland Culchie Festival later this year.

And organisers have promised the rich hurling and farming region of Cloyne in East Cork will never be the same again.

They are planning a pole-dancing competition and a topless Irish dancing display — events which are sure to get binder-twine belts and braces in a twist. Male culchie contestants will be expected to swivel and gyrate their way through the pole-dancing competition using a traditional Irish telegraph pole, complete with splinters, with female culchies using a bus stop.

The topless Irish dancing display will feature the festival’s top male culchies giving it wellie while stripped to their grass-stained vests. Other events will include:

* A spitting competition;

* The Cork Super Gran competition;

* The “Bacon and Cabbage” Ball;

* The Irish Open Egg Throwing championships;

* The Great Honda 50 Run;

* The High Nellie Run;

* A Junior Culchie competition.

News that Cork is to host this year’s festival was confirmed last night by festival organisers Paddy Rock and Brendan Morrissey.

They have just completed a factfinding mission to Cloyne where they met with the rebel county’s supreme culchie, Cloyne man Michael Greaney, who has been training culchie contestants since 1999, and members of the Cloyne Culchie Committee.

“The area is ideally suited to hosting the culchie festival,” said Mr Morrissey.

“Cloyne and the surrounding areas have a rich history and will make a wonderful setting for the festival weekend.”

The festival was founded 22 years ago in Clonbur on the shores of Lough Corrib, Co Galway, and has sought out the finest characters that rural Ireland has to offer.

Contestants must be able to “entertain and enthral” an audience whether they be at a mart, a match, or a Mass.

Last year, the once male-dominated event opened its doors to female culchies for the fist time, with Cloyne’s Sinead Wall taking the title of Culchie Cailín.

Local qualifying heats will be run over the coming months with the national finals in October.

Last year’s event in Co Leitrim raised almost €10,000 for charity.