In 1987, Patrick Farrelly a member of Macra na Feirme from Carnaross was inspired the song "Blue Jean Country Queen" by Linda Hargrove to create the festival.
The closure of The Old Darnley Lodge Hotel in 2013,[1] which was the venue for much of the weekends activity, resulted in the festival organizers having to put together alternative arrangements for housing many of the events.
[4] In 2021, with the festival again postponed due to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, Blue Jean Country Queen Aoife Scanlon embarked on a fundraising campaign in aid of the Irish Cancer Society.
[6] The women who participate in the competition are either members of Macra na Feirme, or a similar rural youth organisation in the case of overseas contestants.
Celebrity interviewers have included Ray D'Arcy, Brendan Grace, Darragh McCullough and Hector Ó hEochagáin.
That evening a banquet takes place in the Darnley Lodge Hotel, followed by live music and the announcement of the winning Queen at midnight.