Listowel sets official Guinness World Record for Dolly Day
A total of 1,137 Dolly Parton lookalikes made their way to Frank Sheehy Park in Listowel in June, and 959 of them were included in the official Guinness World Record tally. File picture
A town in North Kerry is celebrating after it set the official Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of people dressed as Dolly Parton.
Following a successful Dolly Day event on June 25, which saw more than 1,100 Dolly lookalikes gather together, Listowel says it is "thrilled" that it has now claimed the Parton crown.
Committee member Liz Horgan says the team were “relieved” to receive news of the official world record on Monday, following months of hard work and preparation.
“We were thrilled to hear the news, they had said it could take 10 to 12 weeks and it has only been six weeks really, so they got back to us really quickly,” she added.
Committee chairperson Cora O’Brien spotted the email confirmation from Guinness World Record on Monday, before organising a group call to tell her team-mates.
“She did a group call with all of us and we were delighted, thrilled really, because as you know, it wasn't a given that we'd get it," Liz said.
“We could have been put down on a technicality or on anything, so to get it in the bag, we're just relieved and delighted to be honest,”
Despite only needing 250 people who were “instantly recognisable” as Ms Parton herself, the committee had a number of rules and regulations to follow in order to secure the world record title.
Listowel also currently holds the record for the largest gathering of people dressed in nun costumes, which it achieved in 2012, with the help of the same committee.
The ‘Nunday’ event saw a total of 1,436 people partake in the dress-up challenge, which smashed the previous record held of 250 people.
Although this wasn’t their first attempt, Liz Horgan admitted that ‘Nunday’ was “a walk in the park” compared to Dolly Day.
In total, 1,137 Dolly lookalikes made their way to Frank Sheehy Park in Listowel but only 959 of these were included in the official world record, following careful examination and consideration by the team in the weeks that followed.
“There was a pile of work behind the scenes that nobody knew about,” Liz added.
Liz said the big day was enjoyed by young and old alike — with the oldest ‘Dolly’ recorded 95 years of age.
"The crowd was just unreal, and everybody was in such great form", Liz said.
“It was a great boost for the town as well. All the publicans and what not were thrilled with it.”
The event garnered international attention in the weeks that followed, with news platforms across Australia and America picking up on the day, and the great Queen of Country, Dolly Parton herself, also spoke about the record event on national television.
Dollywood company president, Eugene Naughton, attended the Listowel event on Ms Parton’s behalf, keeping her informed about the day.
The event, held in aid of the Kerry Hospice foundation and Comfort for Chemo Kerry, exceeded the committee’s expectations, with money still coming in to this day.
“We're really, really happy with what we've raised and apart from that, Mary from comfort for chemo said that, they couldn't have paid for the exposure that the charity has gotten,” Liz added.
A cheque presentation will take place at 6.30pm on Saturday, August 26, in Christy’s Bar, The Well, in Listowel, where the total figure raised will be announced.
“The big thing is the support that we got from everyone even people who weren’t in a position to dress up, like OAPs, dropped money in to support us and the charities,” she added.
As for what’s next for this committee? Talks of another world record may not be on the cards just yet, but the group are already planning a trip to Dollywood, following an invitation from Mr Naughton himself.
The committee plans to make the visit next year.
“The community spirit in Listowel came to fruition again — we definitely have something special here," Liz said.
