'Ladies Day' HATS / STYLE Galway Races 2017

LADIES DAY AT THE GALWAY RACES 2017

It was a manic few weeks in the run up to the Galway Races this year.  However much you plan your outfit for the day it always comes together at the last minute!!  

This year for the first time in over 15 years I didn't attend ladies day!!   

Attending the races is brilliant but when your working right up until the Wednesday night late, you can only do so much.  I was certainly there in spirit with lots of beautiful ladies wearing my hats. I attended the races on Friday and also a number of events during the week so I didn't miss out.

I love sharing some of the looks from my customers for Ladies Day.  The biggest Ladies Day Competition in Ireland sponsored by The g Hotel Galway.  Ladies wear hats every day now to the festival but I wanted to do a showcase for Ladies Day because there was such a variety of styles and hats on display.  I love to see the complete look head to toe so here are a few for you to enjoy.

Fiona Glynn - Fit and Fabulous - wearing one of my new designs which I tweaked to work with the detail on her dress, love her green bag!

Lorraine was the lucky winner of the Clarenbridge Oyster Pearl this year and as a result I sponsored her hat for Ladies Day,  I styled her lemon dress with a Navy and Lemon Silk Hat, Shoes and Royal Bag from my studio collection.  

I love butterflies and designing this stunning silk hat for Caroline Glancy I used the colours from the butterflies on the coat to create a splash of colour with a Bespoke silk Suzie Mahony Designs Hat.  Her outfit is from Olivia Danielle Athlone.  

Orange is one of the best colours on Dearbhla Silke from Catwalk Modelling Agency,  I ignored her height with this hat because it is Ladies Day!!  Think she looks amazing.

Tara Moran and the Team from Maximum Media got all their hats from my studio this year.  Tara is wearing a red Suzie Wave hat.

Rosanna Davison wearing a soft Gold Headpiece I designed to complement her look for Ladies Day.

Judy Fitzgerald looking radiant in blue with a white Percher I designed with loads of height using wired feathers, flowers and silk swirls.

I have had so many complements about this look on Katie Geoghegan who was chosen by Bairbre Power as a finalist for the Best Dressed Competition.  I introduced this striking red angular hat because red is fabulous on Katie with her dress from Harper.  So delighted for her.

Eileen Lundon - Olympic Saddlery - wearing Suzie Mahony Designs for Ladies Day.

Aoife O'Hanlon Top 10 Finalist for the g Hotel Best Dressed Lady Competition

Aoife's hat is a bespoke Red trimmed with lots of flowers and silk swirls.

Ladies attending Ladies Day are a very important part of the attraction and atmosphere and indeed the style for the overall week at Galway.   I love the addition of the selfie wall this year, maybe we need another one near the Fashion Action!!   

Susan Flanagan wearing all Ivory Phoenix_V Dress with an accent of Gold.  Her hat is embellished with ivory roses and gold silk swirls.  Her LIPS gold clutch is also from my studio collection.  Susan was also chosen as a finalist at the Galway Races Best Dressed Dressed Competition.

There is so much effort and planning for ladies for the day it is such a shame we only see a few chosen or highlighted.   Social Media  is probably the best forum to catch a glimpse of the style,  wouldn't be great to see more of our Racing Ladies on the TV, a little balance like they achieve at other race meetings around the world.

I was delighted to have customers picked for Best Dressed, designing hats for race meetings throughout Ireland and further afield for the past 15 years, it's still the one closest to home that is the sweetest!! Galway. 

The showcase of Millinery at the Galway Races puts us on the International Stage when it comes to quality bespoke designs.   Looking forward to seeing even more as the racecourse continues its development for 2018.  Exciting times ahead!!

Thank you for reading my blog.

Suzie x

Galway Races Festival Summer 2016 Best Dressed Ladies & Hats

Galway Races Festival Summer 2016 Best Dressed Ladies & HATS!

The Galway races kicked off in style for my hats this year with Triona O'Donnell winning Best Dressed in the Latin Quarter Best Dressed Competition sponsored by Evoke.ie and judged by Lorraine Keane.


With Millinery to the fore on Tuesday at the First Furlong annual event at the Ardilaun Hotel in aid of National Breast Cancer Research the ladies were out in full racing style.  The Hat show was modelled by Catwalk Modelling Agency showcasing some of my racing hats alongside other Galway milliners.

Wednesday 'Plate Day' brought us to the Connacht Hotel where Ruth Kemple and Marietta Doran judged best dressed from the days racing in Ballybrit.  Ruth wore Suzie Mahony Designs accessories for her week's racing and Wednesday's look was complete with this striking orange silk Hat.

The biggest ladies day in the country sponsored by Theghotel for the first time, kicked off very early this year.  From 11.30 on Thursday!!

Each year I design hats for the Galway Races and this year showed that the Ascot Style is coming to Galway in a big way.  The beautiful big hats elegantly finished with dresses or jumpsuits, it was all there, stunning to watch.  Many had opted for something different as the judges guided at the Races Launch, 'maybe trousers or jumpsuit but they would be looking for a look that is definitely very different this year to anything we've seen before'.  Racegoers take advice and tips like this very seriously so it was no surprise to see such wonderful outfits and hats on the day.  They came from far and wide, its always lovely to see so many local Galway Ladies out in style supporting Galway Races at its best on ladies day.

Whether you wore a large hat or a quirky headpiece it was the overall look that was important and every lady there went to such effort and looked special.  Its such a pity only 20 are chosen from so many.  Maybe the time has come to let all the wonderful ladies walk a red carpet in front of the photographers and enter if they wish, then they can enjoy some of the limelight they deserve.

This year I designed a gold Grecian style beaded headpiece for Judge Mandy Maher.


Delighted to see Angela Dowd wearing Suzie Mahony Designs Black Silk Bow chosen as a finalist and later that evening at theghotel she was a finalist for the Best Hat Competition.

The winner of the day was Lisa McGowan - Lisa's Lust List wearing her own fashion label 'Strawberry and Lime' with matching headpiece.

For my own look this year I wore a navy Phase Eight Jumpsuit which arrived on the Wednesday afternoon!! yes very late but it was perfect and so comfortable, with navy shoes from Clarks, a fab bag I picked up in Portugal last year, jewellery and silk hat all Suzie Mahony Designs.   In pic with Sophie Small wearing one of my Gold Bespoke Hats.

A little peek at some of my clients for Ladies Day Galway 2016, check out Suzie Mahony Designs for lots more images from the races.



Happy Customer Judy Fitzgerald went on to the Clayton Hotel Best Dressed where she was a finalist wearing a beautiful Phoenix V dress with a bespoke hat I dyed to match.






Sarah Jane Moran meeting AP McCoy at the parade ring on ladies day, wearing a beautiful 3-piece suit from Olivia Danielle and Bespoke Cerise Hat from Suzie Mahony Designs.

Jenny Tierney sporting a peacock Wave Hat from Suzie Mahony Designs with this striking dress. 

Two Broke Divas - Louise Gallagher wearing a Black Silk Hat from Suzie Mahony Designs, check out details of her outfit on her blog.  

Ruth Kemple was chosen by Roz Purcell as a finalist at the Halo Nightclub best dressed Competition on Ladies Day wearing Royal Suzie Wave Hat with jumpsuit from Olivia Danielle.


Mary Lee owner Chez Lee looking radiant in this striking red dress with large nude / red hat.




On Friday I was delighted to be a sponsor alongside Athlone Town Centre for Friday's Fair Lady again this year, judged by Lottie Ryan and Marietta Doran.

Lottie Ryan looked radiant in stunning purple, I designed a purple orchid headpiece with tiny silk swirls in purple to match her dress.  This year saw a huge increase in ladies attending with a very relaxed but stunning array of outfits and hats.  A very enjoyable evening at the Champagne Tent.

What a week of style and so many events throughout the city and in all the hotels to entertain racegoers for the week.  Some real style treats along the way and of course the racing highlights.  Not forgetting Ruby's great win for the Guinness Hurdle on Thursday.  I didn't back a winner all week but I certainly enjoyed styling and creating beautiful hats for ladies.

Suzie x