A 27-year-old construction manager was crowned the 2019 Mary from Dungloe at a ceremony in Co Donegal on Sunday night.
Róisín Maher, who represented New York but is actually from Tomard, in Co Carlow, said she was overwhelmed and ecstatic to receive the crown.
Ms Maher was one of 14 contestants – including a first-ever India Mary, Anila Devasia, and this reporter (representing Miami) – to compete for the title of Mary from Dungloe. Ms Maher’s connection to the town stemmed from visits to the area with college friends during her years at DIT.
The population of Dungloe expands from 1,300 to more than 10,000 during the 10-day Mary from Dungloe festival. This year’s 52nd annual event was hosted by Daniel O’Donnell, the unofficial emperor of Co Donegal.
Speaking at a party held to celebrate the winner at Dungloe’s Waterfront Hotel, Ms Maher said she looked forward to visiting the area more in the coming months and using the position as a platform to highlight issues she was passionate about.
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“Dungloe has just gone green and with my interest in sustainable building and energy design, I am definitely looking forward to leading that campaign with the town,” she said.
Ms Maher moved to New York in 2015 and currently works for construction company JR Mason as a project manager. She said she initially found it daunting to work in a male-dominated industry, but now feels supported by her team.
In her segment at the festival’s Crowning Cabaret, which was broadcast live on TG4, Ms Maher built a wall of bricks and cement on stage which she said was a reference to the song, The Hills of Donegal.
As part of her “Mary duties” for the next year, she will be expected to attend local events – starting with the Meenacross Agricultural Show on Monday, be an ambassador for Dungloe in New York, and return in 2020 to spend another 10 days with the next batch of Mary contestants.
Ms Maher’s coronation comes at the end of a 10-day schedule for the 14 Mary contestants. This included a hike up Sliabh Liag, a kayaking trip, a visit to Glenveigh National Park, daily trad music sessions, dozens of tours, and hundreds of photo ops.
Organisers of this year’s Mary from Dungloe festival tried to distance it from a “lovely girls competition” by creating a female-led programme of music and art events. The festival boasts that over 80 per cent of its events have also been organised or run by women.
It has also done away with previous entry requirements stipulating the age, heritage, and marital status of contestants. Anthea Atkinson, the festival’s chairwoman, said she hoped to remove the requirement for male escorts in the coming years.
“It’s a bit silly that we invite accomplished and professional women to take part but then say that they need a man to escort them around,” she said.
