ORGANISERS OF LAST summer’s controversial ‘child beauty’ pageant held in Monaghan are planning two return visits — one of which is being planned for the weekend after next.

Universal Royalty — the company behind September’s event — have confirmed they’ve added another Irish contest to their schedule, in addition to the Cork December date, which was confirmed last month.

The Cork contest is expected to go ahead on Saturday week, but the venue is being kept secret until the days before the event goes ahead.

The Monaghan contest provoked widespread criticism at the time. Children’s Minister Frances Fitzgerald and CEO of children’s charity Barnardos Fergus Finlay were amongst those who condemned the format, with the latter saying such contests were “exploitative” and damaging.

Several Dublin hotels, including the Bracken Court in Balbriggan, backed out of involvement in the pageant as the controversy grew. It was eventually held in Corrigan’s Kitchen in Castleblayney.

In the wake of the broadcast this week of an RTÉ documentary on the September event, Universal Royalty launched a social media blitz to capitalise on the renewed publicity, posting the following on Facebook:

The Dallas-based company also took to Twitter to ask for venue suggestions for future events.

Universal Royalty boss Annette Hill told the RTÉ documentary makers that she planned on “coming back every year” and said that in spite of the controversy, the trip had been been “well worth the wait”.

(Youtube: RTÉ)

Read: Dublin hotel pulls out of hosting child beauty pageant >

Also: Heavy makeup, high heels and frilly dresses ‘inappropriate’ on pageant children >