THE annual Mr Personality Festival took place in Kilkenny on April 10th and 11th. The festival was hosted by Kilkenny County Macra and was sponsored by Kilkenny/Carlow and District Farm Relief Services.

Local man, Steven from Bantry Macra took part in the weekend’s festivities as the Carbery representative.

The festival brought a weekend of energy, entertainment and fun to the marble city.

A stalwart of the Macra calendar, the festival continues to celebrate the confidence, character and diverse talents of Macra members across the country.

Twenty-five contestants, including Steven, travelled from across the country to Langton’s Hotel, Kilkenny for thee fun-filled weekend.

Festivities got underway on Friday evening with the contestants taking to the stage for interviews at 7pm hosted by MC Aindriú du Paor.

This gave the audience their first glimpse of the personalities representing counties and regions across Ireland.

The contestants showcased their character, wit and humour along with any talents that they had. Following on from the interviews the night continued with great music into the early hours.

On Saturday morning, Steven completed his private interview with the three judges.

It was a busy afternoon in Langton’s where our Mr Personality contestants were joined by fellow Macra members for some jiving lessons, and afterwards Steven proudly displayed his county colours while completing team building challenges with fellow contestants.

On Saturday evening, anticipation built as all supporters gathered once again in Langton’s for the gala banquet dinner.

This proved to be a fitting centre piece for the weekend, combining great food and company along with many surprises along the way.

Following the banquet, Sweet Freedom provided music in the build-up to the moment of truth, the announcement of the winners.

After a highly competitive weekend, the title of Mr Personality 2026 was awarded to Patrick Walton, who represented Kilkenny Macra.

Joe Hennessy of Limerick took second place whilst UCC Macra’s Jack Murphy rounded out the top three.

To check out all the activities and events from the weekend, follow Mr Personality Festival on Instagram and Facebook for all of the highlights and future updates.