Derby Style: 1. Winner Alex Fay; 2. Sonya Lennon; 3. Gillian Quinn. (Pix. Kieran Harnett)
At the Derby: 1. Angela Scanlan & Lorraine Dwyer; 2. Charlie Hanrahan & Debrah Veale; 3. Anna Daly. (Pix. Kieran Harnett)
The sun was shining on the Curragh for the final day of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby on Sunday and thousands attended the event in their finery. There was no shortage of champagne consumption in the VIP areas and plenty of helicopter traffic in the sky, indicative of the economic boom that is nearly upon us.
The highlight of the Derby day was the Kildare Village Most Stylish Lady Competition. World-renowned photographer Mary McCartney jetted in to shortlist the six finalists, alongside Maureen Bergin of Kildare Village outlet shopping. The overall winner was then, for the first time ever, selected by the public via SMS and online voting.
Alex Fay from Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 was the deserving winner and she won a shopping spree at Kildare Village worth an impressive €3,000 as well as a specially commissioned portrait by Mary McCartney. Alex made her own hat the night before the Derby, her dress was by All Saints and her bag by Anya Hindmarch. The two runners up Arlene Hopkins and Aine Bergin, both from Dublin received gift cards to the value of €1,000.
Among the guests for lunch at the Kildare Village pavilion were designer Joanne Hynes, model Andrea Roche, Alex FitzGerald, Elaine Crowley and Brendan Scully. Avril Brophy of Audi, Sonya Lennon, Michael O’Doherty and Sarah Lipsett, fashionista Angela Scanlan, Paul Sally of Hackett and Image magazine editrix Melanie Morris were also enjoying the day.
Celia Holman-Lee was still basking in the limelight following her victory on the TV show Celebrity Salon, while Clodagh Gunnigle was celebrating her impending nuptials with a gang of girlfriends including Nadine Wai-O’Flynn and Tara O’Connor.
Meanwhile many people were wondering who the stunning TV presenter in the little white dress was and were surprised to discover it was none other than Gillian Quinn, wife of Niall. Working with a new online venture called Kildare TV and looking like a spritely 20-something she turned heads wherever she went.
