By Gillian McVeigh

THIS year’s Festival Queen of South Armagh competition has just been launched and local ladies are being encouraged to take part.

The festival, which will be held in the Cross Square Hotel in April 25, is being organised in conjunction with the International Festival Queen of Ireland. The competition will be divided into two categories: Festival Queen and Little Princess.

Those wishing to enter the competition must gain £200 sponsorship from a business. This covers the cost of one entry in the Festival Queen and one entry in the Little Princess competition.

The winner of the competition will represent South Armagh in the final of the International Festival Queen of Ireland in Galway in September 2008.

All contestants will be paraded at the launch night on Sunday March 16. There will be music by an Abba tribute band and the girls who will make the finals will be chosen.

The finals will take place on Friday April 25 in the Cross Square Hotel. On the night, the finalists will take to the stage for a ‘Rose of Tralee’ style interview in order to convince the judges that they are worthy of the title ‘Queen of South Armagh’.

Entry forms can be obtained from the Cross Square Hotel or by emailing your name and address to info@crosssquarehotel.com. For more information call Fiona Kieran in the Cross Square Hotel on (028) 30860505.