The Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster (YFCU) held their much-anticipated Arts Festival Gala at the Millennium Forum in Londonderry on Saturday 22nd March 2025. The event drew a sell out audience of over four hundred guests and is considered one of the highlights within the YFCU calendar.
This annual competition, generously supported by long-standing sponsor NFU Mutual through the Charitable Trust, showcased five acts from Curragh & Kilrea YFC, Kilraughts YFC, Glarryford YFC, Coleraine YFC and Moneymore YFC. Each cast delivered vibrant, engaging and clever self-written dramas, demonstrating their originality and creativity through song, dance, wit and enthusiasm.
Lauren Finlay, NFU Mutual Regional Manager for Northern Ireland, commented, “At NFU Mutual and as a representative of the Charitable Trust, we are proud to be affiliated with this vibrant community and to support initiatives that foster growth, development, and connections. In a world that is increasingly fast-paced and digital, these magical moments of connection through music, performance, and the arts are essential for grounding us and showcasing the talents within this organisation and how exciting does the future looks for Northern Ireland with the exuberant next generation.”
The evening commenced with a VIP reception, sponsored by Chestnutt Animal Feeds, which welcomed YFCU supporters and sponsors, past Presidents and office bearers, as well as competition producers. Cool FM radio host, Pete Snodden, carried the evening, engaging and entertaining the audience between performances as the compere for the night’s competition, while expert adjudicators Nicole Hooley and Ruth McCartney had the challenging task of selecting the ‘Outstanding Performance of the Night’.
To close the evening, President Richard Beattie unveiled the 2025 Arts Festival Gala Awards, which were kindly presented by Lauren Finlay from NFU Mutual. Finvoy YFC were awarded ‘Most Amusing Moment’ with their act titled “Sacrifice To The Yellow Man”, Glarryford YFC were awarded ‘Most Innovative Musical Moment with their act titled “Sound Of Silence” and ‘Most Imaginative Theme’, Moneymore YFC were awarded ‘Best Choral’ piece with the song “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, Kilraughts YFC were awarded ‘Best Choreography’ and the ‘Best Newcomer’ award went to “County Armagh YFC”. The overall prize for ‘Outstanding Performance on the Night' award went to Moneymore YFC. All five acts received a plaque for their participation, this was presented by Lauren Finlay (NFU Mutual).
Commenting on the competition, YFCU President Richard Beattie remarked, “there was a high standard of talent displayed on stage and it was a testament to the months of commitment, effort and preparation that went into making the event a tremendous evening of entertainment. Saturday night’s event was another example of how YFCU provide members with fantastic opportunities that they may not experience elsewhere”. Chief Executive Officer for the organisation, Derek Lough, thanked the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust for their continued generosity and support of the Arts Festival Gala. He thanked Gordon Lyons (Minister for Communities of Northern Ireland) for being a fantastic guest speaker, as well as the Millennium Forum for hosting the evening and Chestnutt Animal Feeds for their kind sponsorship of the VIP reception.
