Uplifting win after back-breaking effort

Every marriage carries a weight of expectation but for couples, married and unmarried, on the Ring of Kerry yesterday, the burden was felt all the more keenly.

The Finnish-style wife-carrying competition at the family fun festival in Sneem has gone from strength to strength in recent years with all sorts of couples competing, an organiser said yesterday.

This year’s event was won by locals Mike Wilson and Treacy Ann Meaker, from Tousist in Kerry.

Now sponsored by Paddy Power, the winners scooped €1,000 for their back-breaking effort.

Based on practices in the Baltic when potential wives were carried off by eager husbands over water and marsh, the object is to get around an obstacle course in the fastest time.

Yesterday’s event was won in a time of 1 minute and 32 seconds.

Some 16 couples from Ireland as well as from Germany and Slovakia took part this weekend.

Second place went to Toby Cowper from Dublin who carried local woman Marion O’Sullivan.

An event spokeswoman said the cold water obstacle proved a shock for most couples who started the course well.

The event was open to same sex-couples with this year’s race featuring two girls who carried each other.