Photo finish for Galway Races' Ladies’ Day

Offaly was the big winner in the Best Dressed Lady competition yesterday, with Lisa McGowan from Tullamore taking away the big prize.

Lisa wore a hat by Marie Claire Millinery, an asymmetric dress she designed herself, a handbag from Glitz, jewellery from Dessert Diamonds Ireland, and shoes from Dunnes Stores.

For her troubles, Lisa took away the not-too-shabby prize worth €10,000 which includes a €500 voucher in BT Galway, €500 Yourells Hair salon voucher, and a top-end three-night stay in the Linda Evangelista penthouse suite in the G Hotel in Galway.

The Tullamore insurance broker has now made it two in a row after winning the same competition at Ballinrobe Races recently.

“I’m shocked,” she said. “I never expected to win. I won in Ballinrobe a few weeks ago and it spurred me on to enter here. It’s just been amazing. The ladies pull out all the stops here and it’s the best Best Dressed Ladies in the country. I’m here with my husband and it’s really emotional winning.”

Lisa recently set up a fashion blog and said the win and general style in Galway would provide her with plenty of inspiration for the future.

It was also a good day for Meath as Garda Ciara Murphy from Dunboyne was the winner of the Best Hat competition.

Ciara’s hat was by Fiona Rafter Millinery in Dunshaughlin and she described it as a bronze feathered piece with arrows and rosebuds.

The 30-year-old garda out of Store Street Garda Station said she was back to work tomorrow but was shocked to win on her first visit to Galway.

Garda Ciara Murphy, Dunboyne, Co Meath, was chosen as winner of the prestigious best hat competition while Lisa McGowan, from Tullamore, Co Offaly, won the best dressed lady competition at Ladies’ Day at the Galway Races. Pictures: Ray Ryan

“I am over the moon,” she said. “I am so excited, it’s so unexpected. It’s my first time at the Galway Races.

“I wasn’t going to come to the races but I got last-minute accommodation from a friend of mine putting us up.”

“We just said it would be a bit of craic. It was funny how it worked out because the milliner contacted me to see if I wanted to wear the hat because she made it with me in mind because she thought I was going anyway.”

As for Best Dressed Man? There is a competition but let’s face it, no one was here to look at the men.

News: 7

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