Ciaran on life as the Westmeath Bachelor

Presenting award ceremonies, playing at Electric Picnic and getting a girlfriend… Ciaran Clarke looks back on the first five months of his tenure as the Westmeath Bachelor.

The Rosemount native won the title on July 30 at a live competition in Mullingar Arts Centre, when he impressed a panel of celebrity judges, including Louis Walsh and Anne Doyle, with his performance of a self-penned song performed with the help of a guitar and harmonica.

Ciaran told the Examiner that his life has changed a lot since his crowning. “I’ve confidence to burn now, and I actually have a girlfriend too,” he said.

“After the competition, I had got a lot of coverage in the media so my inbox was quite full. I was using Tinder and that sort of craic, going on a few dates here and there.

“Then I met Meg, and by that stage, I was starting to get creative with these dates so I brought her to an axe-throwing place in Dublin – which was good fun.”

Ciaran joked that he won’t be handing back his bachelor title now that he has a girlfriend as, “we’re not married”.

He said his life has also changed in other ways since the show. “I’m starting a new job in Mullingar in January, which is great, as I had been commuting from Rosemount to Dublin for a long time.

“I got a job in Denise Cassidy’s new legal firm in the town, Cassidy Solicitors, and I’m really excited by that. I’ve been looking to find work here for a long time.”

There have been other highlights over the last few months, too, according to the Westmeath Bachelor. “I was on presenting duties at the Midlands Hospitality Awards in November, which was good fun. I got to play at Electric Picnic in August too, which was a dream, after being contacted by someone who had seen a clip of me performing at the Westmeath Bachelor competition.

“I got to go up and play my song and a few covers on one of the smaller stages at Electric Picnic. I would have never had that opportunity before.”

Ciaran said he still has the prizes from the competition to look forward to. “I won a holiday of my choice and I still haven’t cashed in on that yet,” he said.

“I have loads of ideas, no shortage, but I’m thinking of Italy, Greece or the south of Spain at the moment. I get a plus-one too, so if [my girlfriend] wants to hang around another while, she’ll get a holiday out of me!”

Ciaran will also be performing in a Rosemount Drama Society production alongside his neighbour, and former Rose of Tralee winner, Rachel Duffy. “It’s called Nobody’s Talk to Me. There’s eight of us in it and the plan is to do that in the Tuar Ard Arts Centre in Moate, so keep an eye on a date to be released for that. I’m really looking forward to it.”

The Westmeath Bachelor said he’s felt more connected to his community in Rosemount than ever since winning the competition. “We have two international athletes who are doing well at the moment from here in Rosemount, Aaron Keane in the athletics and Ireland U20 hooker Ronan Foxe.

“I was invited down to present those two guys with awards one day and I was delighted with that. It made me feel like I was back in the community, which I had got away from for a long time.”