Dont go baloobas on booze! - WHERES THE TENT? Smart: when it comes to standing out in the Best Dressed stakes, stylish beats skimpy every time Advice: stylist Lisa Fitzpatrick warns that overdoing it on the bubbly is a bad move - De-camped: Where will Bertie and the Fianna Failers hang out this year?

Byline: Sheila Flynn, Patrice Harrington

DONT overdo the bubbly, think twice about the feathery head-piece and go easy on the cleavage. Before you even think of having a flutter at this years Galway races, it would be wise to heed the advice of seasoned festival-goers.

Stylist Lisa Fitzpatrick cautions against going baloobas on the booze. TG4 weatherman and Galway resident Daithc O Se asks that you cover up your boobs a bit and not poke his eyes out with your hair accessories.

Remember to pack comfy shoes in your bag for later on, cautions Elaine Divilly of glossy Galway Now magazine.

Frances Crowley, daughter of immensely shrewd racehorse trainer Joe, says if your bunions are in bits, no one will bat an eyelid if you go barefoot in Ballybrit.

Dont travel west with any airs and graces, cautions Galway Bay FM DJ Jimmy Norman, who reckons the person standing next to you at the course might be wearing shorts and flip-flops.

If you go to any bar in Galway you might have Sean Dunne standing on one side of you and some 21-year-old young lad getting his girlfriend a drink on the other. Youll have politicians and well-known faces from the fashion and media worlds mingling with farmers, students and locals. Its the most mixed crowd youll ever see anywhere. Lisa Fitzpatrick and Daithc O Se seem to agree on matters of sartorial etiquette.

The TV3 stylist says: I would think of Audrey Hepburn stylish but elegant. If youre going to act as a lady and youre arriving there as a lady, you must be refined.

You must hold back throughout the evening. If you want to leave the racecourse and get baloobas, go somewhere else. Theres nothing sexy about it. It looks horrendous to see somebody who is too giddy, falling sideways. The man twice voted Irelands Sexiest TV star says, Classy beats skimpy any day of the week, particularly on Ladies Day on Thursday. A lot of women let out the boobs at the Galway Races and I know some fellas are into that but Id prefer a nice, tasteful look myself.

And God almighty, dont overdo it with the things sticking out of your head. So many women walk around looking like peacocks and the feathers get stuck in your eyes and your ears when youre trying to pass them out. Men are usually more speedy and sure-footed than ladies whose high heels have sunk in the grass. Little wonder these Sex and the City shoes, as Daithc O Se calls them, are ditched as evening falls.

You often see scores of women leaving in their bare feet, dangling their stilettos, says Frances Crowley.

But such surrender should be done under cover of darkness, advises Elaine Divilly.

Obviously heels set off any outfit, but it mightnt be a bad idea to have pumps in your bag for late at night. The streets are so jammers, nobody would even notice. Some no-nos, however, would never go unnoticed. Among them are messy hair and make-up, splotchy fake tan or unmanicured hands. Definitely paint your toenails, paint your fingernails, Miss Fitzpatrick cautions.

If you try too hard by dressing head-totoe in designer clobber, you will probably be outclassed by a chick in a High Street dress who has accessorised with flair.

The general trend for Best Dressed competition is to look for somebody who has a really good sense of style. And whether that is mixing something from Penneys with the latest Chanel, I think its whatever just looks good, Miss Divilly explains. WOMEN who want to enter the Best Dressed competition should smile, be confident and watch their posture, says Miss Fitzpatrick, whose final piece of advice is this: Dont be afraid to approach the judges. Sometimes, if youre judging and walking around, you dont get to see everybody. Men neednt think theyre off the hook in the style stakes either, warns Daithc. At the very least lads should bring more than one pair of underpants for the week. I will be wearing a clean shirt, jeans and cowboy boots and on Ladies Day Ill wear my Louis Copeland suit. Women tend to dress up every day at the races now and if you dont try to smarten yourself lads, it can be a bit like Beauty and the Beast.

* GOING WEST? STUMPED AS TO THE SOCIAL LIFE? NEVER FEAR Such is the carnival atmosphere of Galway city during Race Week that crowds spill out of the pubs and clubs onto the vibrant streets. Take yourself and your plastic cup of booze out on to Shop Street and Quay Street w h e r e buskers and street actors will keep you entertained.

* WHERE TO FIND LOVE Former gossip columnist Gayle Killilea famously found love at the Galway Races when she met multimillionaire property developer Sean Dunne in the now-defunct

Fianna Fail tent. Locals recommend the Radisson for rubbing shoulders with the movers and shakers, though since it opened last year The Clayton Hotel opposite the racecourse has been attracting its share of gamey-eyed types. Both are four-star hotels offering free entertainment all week.

*SUPER PUBS As Daithc O Se points out, Galway doesnt do superpubs it specialises in cosy, intimate bars with excellent Guinness and traditional musicians. Taaffes, Freeneys, the Crane Bar, Busker Brownes and the Quays are heaving with life and unpre-tentiousness.

*OLD FRIENDS AND TV STARS Galway is so small and so packed during the Races that its almost impossible not to run into someone you know. But instead of dreading the moment your ex pops into view, you might like to keep an eye out for the stars who might stay on after the Arts Festival ends tomorrow. Like Frasier star John Mahoney, Blondie singer Debbie Harry and sexy Scottish singer KT Tunstall.

* WHERE TO EAT If you havent made a reservation at one of the citys eateries, you might find yourself limited to Galways own Supermacs. If that doesnt sound tasty and tempting enough, Daithc O Se has another recommendation. For good hearty fish and chips, go to McDonaghs. Its right at the bottom of Quay Street, he says. During the day, people who are going for the week-long marathon stock up there. For a chipper with more international flair, he recommends La Salsa which has everything from quesadillas to burgers to an impressive variety of taco fries. You still have time to book a table at some of the citys more upmarket restaurants, such as KC Blakes and Vina Mara but dont delay!

* WHERE TO HAVE A BALL On Tuesday night, the Meyrick Hotel is hosting a black tie ball in aid of Fighting Blindness, while the Radisson hosts its long-running black tie Race Ball on Friday night.

Several hotels will host fashion competitions throughout the week in addition to the Best Dressed event at the racecourse. Contestants at the Meyrick Hotel on Thursday will have the chance to win a E14,000 diamond bracelet in the Best Dressed competition a prize surely worth dressing up for.

The G Hotel, designed by Galway milliner Philip Treacy, will hold a Best Hat competition on Thursday.Which calls to mind veteran Ladies Day judge Celia Holman Lees advice on the most important thing to remember when dressing for Ladies Day: The hat, the hat, the hat!

Dont go baloobas on booze! - WHERES THE TENT? Smart: when it comes to standing out in the Best Dressed stakes, stylish beats skimpy every time Advice: stylist Lisa Fitzpatrick warns that overdoing it on the bubbly is a bad move - De-camped: Where will Bertie and the Fianna Failers hang out this year?

Byline: Sheila Flynn, Patrice Harrington

DONT overdo the bubbly, think twice about the feathery head-piece and go easy on the cleavage. Before you even think of having a flutter at this years Galway races, it would be wise to heed the advice of seasoned festival-goers.

Stylist Lisa Fitzpatrick cautions against going baloobas on the booze. TG4 weatherman and Galway resident Daithc O Se asks that you cover up your boobs a bit and not poke his eyes out with your hair accessories.

Remember to pack comfy shoes in your bag for later on, cautions Elaine Divilly of glossy Galway Now magazine.

Frances Crowley, daughter of immensely shrewd racehorse trainer Joe, says if your bunions are in bits, no one will bat an eyelid if you go barefoot in Ballybrit.

Dont travel west with any airs and graces, cautions Galway Bay FM DJ Jimmy Norman, who reckons the person standing next to you at the course might be wearing shorts and flip-flops.

If you go to any bar in Galway you might have Sean Dunne standing on one side of you and some 21-year-old young lad getting his girlfriend a drink on the other. Youll have politicians and well-known faces from the fashion and media worlds mingling with farmers, students and locals. Its the most mixed crowd youll ever see anywhere. Lisa Fitzpatrick and Daithc O Se seem to agree on matters of sartorial etiquette.

The TV3 stylist says: I would think of Audrey Hepburn stylish but elegant. If youre going to act as a lady and youre arriving there as a lady, you must be refined.

You must hold back throughout the evening. If you want to leave the racecourse and get baloobas, go somewhere else. Theres nothing sexy about it. It looks horrendous to see somebody who is too giddy, falling sideways. The man twice voted Irelands Sexiest TV star says, Classy beats skimpy any day of the week, particularly on Ladies Day on Thursday. A lot of women let out the boobs at the Galway Races and I know some fellas are into that but Id prefer a nice, tasteful look myself.

And God almighty, dont overdo it with the things sticking out of your head. So many women walk around looking like peacocks and the feathers get stuck in your eyes and your ears when youre trying to pass them out. Men are usually more speedy and sure-footed than ladies whose high heels have sunk in the grass. Little wonder these Sex and the City shoes, as Daithc O Se calls them, are ditched as evening falls.

You often see scores of women leaving in their bare feet, dangling their stilettos, says Frances Crowley.

But such surrender should be done under cover of darkness, advises Elaine Divilly.

Obviously heels set off any outfit, but it mightnt be a bad idea to have pumps in your bag for late at night. The streets are so jammers, nobody would even notice. Some no-nos, however, would never go unnoticed. Among them are messy hair and make-up, splotchy fake tan or unmanicured hands. Definitely paint your toenails, paint your fingernails, Miss Fitzpatrick cautions.

If you try too hard by dressing head-totoe in designer clobber, you will probably be outclassed by a chick in a High Street dress who has accessorised with flair.

The general trend for Best Dressed competition is to look for somebody who has a really good sense of style. And whether that is mixing something from Penneys with the latest Chanel, I think its whatever just looks good, Miss Divilly explains. WOMEN who want to enter the Best Dressed competition should smile, be confident and watch their posture, says Miss Fitzpatrick, whose final piece of advice is this: Dont be afraid to approach the judges. Sometimes, if youre judging and walking around, you dont get to see everybody. Men neednt think theyre off the hook in the style stakes either, warns Daithc. At the very least lads should bring more than one pair of underpants for the week. I will be wearing a clean shirt, jeans and cowboy boots and on Ladies Day Ill wear my Louis Copeland suit. Women tend to dress up every day at the races now and if you dont try to smarten yourself lads, it can be a bit like Beauty and the Beast.

* GOING WEST? STUMPED AS TO THE SOCIAL LIFE? NEVER FEAR Such is the carnival atmosphere of Galway city during Race Week that crowds spill out of the pubs and clubs onto the vibrant streets. Take yourself and your plastic cup of booze out on to Shop Street and Quay Street w h e r e buskers and street actors will keep you entertained.

* WHERE TO FIND LOVE Former gossip columnist Gayle Killilea famously found love at the Galway Races when she met multimillionaire property developer Sean Dunne in the now-defunct

Fianna Fail tent. Locals recommend the Radisson for rubbing shoulders with the movers and shakers, though since it opened last year The Clayton Hotel opposite the racecourse has been attracting its share of gamey-eyed types. Both are four-star hotels offering free entertainment all week.

*SUPER PUBS As Daithc O Se points out, Galway doesnt do superpubs it specialises in cosy, intimate bars with excellent Guinness and traditional musicians. Taaffes, Freeneys, the Crane Bar, Busker Brownes and the Quays are heaving with life and unpre-tentiousness.

*OLD FRIENDS AND TV STARS Galway is so small and so packed during the Races that its almost impossible not to run into someone you know. But instead of dreading the moment your ex pops into view, you might like to keep an eye out for the stars who might stay on after the Arts Festival ends tomorrow. Like Frasier star John Mahoney, Blondie singer Debbie Harry and sexy Scottish singer KT Tunstall.

* WHERE TO EAT If you havent made a reservation at one of the citys eateries, you might find yourself limited to Galways own Supermacs. If that doesnt sound tasty and tempting enough, Daithc O Se has another recommendation. For good hearty fish and chips, go to McDonaghs. Its right at the bottom of Quay Street, he says. During the day, people who are going for the week-long marathon stock up there. For a chipper with more international flair, he recommends La Salsa which has everything from quesadillas to burgers to an impressive variety of taco fries. You still have time to book a table at some of the citys more upmarket restaurants, such as KC Blakes and Vina Mara but dont delay!

* WHERE TO HAVE A BALL On Tuesday night, the Meyrick Hotel is hosting a black tie ball in aid of Fighting Blindness, while the Radisson hosts its long-running black tie Race Ball on Friday night.

Several hotels will host fashion competitions throughout the week in addition to the Best Dressed event at the racecourse. Contestants at the Meyrick Hotel on Thursday will have the chance to win a E14,000 diamond bracelet in the Best Dressed competition a prize surely worth dressing up for.

The G Hotel, designed by Galway milliner Philip Treacy, will hold a Best Hat competition on Thursday.Which calls to mind veteran Ladies Day judge Celia Holman Lees advice on the most important thing to remember when dressing for Ladies Day: The hat, the hat, the hat!