Former Miss Ireland winners and politicians have called for the Miss World pageant to be cancelled after widespread opposition to the event led to bloody riots in the host country, Nigeria.
More than 100 people are believed dead and hundreds more injured after three days of clashes between Muslims and Christians in mainly Islamic Kudana. The rioting was provoked by a newspaper article suggesting that if the Prophet Muhammad were alive he would take a Miss World contestant as his wife.
Yesterday, the Department of Foreign Affairs appeared to distance itself from the current Miss Ireland, Ms Lynda Duffy (22), who arrived in Nigeria last week, saying the Co Mayo woman was not officially representing the country.
Asked whether he considered Ms Duffy an ambassador for Ireland, a spokesman for the Department said: "She can call herself an ambassador for Finglas if she likes".
"The fact is she is not a representative of the State as such or an ambassador," he said, adding that there would be no comment on the competition as Miss World was a private event.
A spokeswoman for the Miss Ireland organisation said Ms Duffy was "an able ambassador for Ireland as far as we are concerned".
Meanwhile, Minister for State for Foreign Affairs Mr Tom Kitt said he was in constant touch with both Ms Duffy's family and the Irish Embassy in Abuja, where the contest is being held.
This week's riots followed a boycott of the competition by a small number of contestants after an unmarried mother, Ms Amina Lawal, was sentenced to death by stoning under Sharia law which operates in the north of the country.
Former winner of Miss Ireland and runner-up in Miss World in 1990, Ms Siobhan McClafferty, said yesterday she felt the competition should be cancelled and Ms Duffy should return home.
"I personally believe she should not be there, I would have gone home to make a stand against women being slaves to religion and for safety reasons," she said.
Ms Amanda Brunker, Miss Ireland 1991, said she would not have travelled to Nigeria in the first place. "The competition should not have been held there . . . she should get out quickly," she said. Miss Ireland 1993, Ms Pamela Flood, disagreed, saying the competition should not be cancelled. "It is not the contestants' fault," she said.
Fianna Fáil Senator Paschal Mooney and Green MEP Ms Nuala Ahern called for a cancellation.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio 1 yesterday from the Nigerian capital, Abuja, Ms Duffy said she intended to stay and compete in the competition.
"I never considered pulling out," she said. "We were told the stoning wouldn't go ahead . . . and if they are not going to do it then there is nothing to make a fuss about."