Road to Miss Universe IRELAND 2018 - winner is Grainne Gallanagh

**bonner** Mon Jul 02, 2018 7:35 am

Miss Universe IRELAND 2018

Finals August 2

**bonner** Mon Jul 02, 2018 7:36 am

Top 30 has been chosen. Waiting for Official Lists

**bonner** Tue Jul 10, 2018 5:58 am

Cathy is a first generation university student. She is studied English and Classical Studies at University College Dublin. She fought hard to achieve this goal. It gave her a fighting spirit and she likes to face her fears head on. She is scared of heights, but tried rock climbing, which turn out to be a great experience. Cathy wants to be a TV presenter and spread awareness about healthy bodies, self-acceptance, and mental health. Cathy hopes to redefine beauty standards with more body positivity in advertisements. She believes suicide and mental illness are huge problems in Ireland. She admires Pieta House for their efforts in treatment and suicide prevention.

**bonner** Tue Jul 10, 2018 5:58 am

Eleanor is a physical education and Irish secondary school teacher and a sports science instructor at Dublin City University. She wants to either be a secondary school teacher or a physical activity advisor. She wants to help lower the rising obesity levels in Ireland, especially with children. She believes social media will play a role in promoting healthy eating and lifestyles. From her own experience, she knows there is a lot of negativity surrounding social media and hopes to continue to share positive items to combat this hostility. She also wants to help girls and women understand that they do not have to be one type, like the “sporty one,” a label people often give Eleanor. Eleanor hopes to work with Croí, a heart and stroke charity that helped her grandfather with his heart transplant and charities that focus on autism, as both of her siblings are autistic.

**bonner** Tue Jul 10, 2018 5:59 am

A business owner and actress Chelsea is an outgoing and adventurous individual. She first began acting when she was 12 when she played Tom Hardy’s daughter on Martina Coles, The Take. Her role was her dreams come true. In 2015, Chelsea established her own business called The Goddress, Dress Hire & Sales, a boutique store that sells fancy dresses. When not working, she supports autistic-focused charities like Irish Autism Action, Irish society for Autism, and AsIAm.ie.

Her brother was diagnosed with Autism very recently. With cousins that also are autistic, Chelsea is aware of the struggles children face. Her brother was bullied and lacked tools to help because he was misdiagnosed twice.

The diagnostic procedure has a two-year wait list, and Chelsea feels strongly that children miss out on crucial support because they do not get early diagnoses. She wants to advocate for these children and eliminate the ridicule they face.

**bonner** Tue Jul 10, 2018 6:00 am

Delia has always loved art. When she was only four, she made a clay snowman, spending a lot of time planning and designing the perfect brim for his hat. Her passion for art has served her well.

She received a creativity scholarship from Adobe to attend university. Delia hopes to one day own a creative business or work as an Art Director at a company with humanitarian values. She believes in the power of visuals and creativity. She is passionate about helping Ireland’s homeless crisis. Delia would like to work with schools to alter the educational system to include more lessons on creative and emotional intelligence. She believes art can help children understand the world around them.

As a person of colour in a white-majority country, she thinks art will combat inherent racism by introducing youth to different beauty standards. Delia wants to present Irleand to the world to reflect its diversity.

**bonner** Tue Jul 10, 2018 6:01 am

After overcoming struggles that cause low self-esteem in childhood, Melanie is now successfully working in a male-dominated medical sector. She continues to courageously face obstacles and fight the societal stigmas others face. She likes to challenge herself like conquering her fear of flying. Melanie plans to climb Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for her favourite charity, Jigsaw the National Centre for Youth Mental Health. She also recognizes the importance of mental health and hopes to provide better services in Ireland for those who need support. Additionally, through her work as an Oncology Pharmaceutical Technician, she combats injustice and false health claims. Melanie hopes to improve laws designed protect the Irish public's health. Melanie wants to show that no matter who you are you can make a difference in the world.

**bonner** Tue Jul 10, 2018 6:01 am

Molly is an athlete who has won numerous honours in both rowing and show-jumping. In addition to working as a model, Molly aspires to be a famous show-jumper for the Irish Team. She likes to stay busy. In addition to her athletic careers, she balanced modelling, school, and an active social life. It was only once she went to university, where she is studying law and psychology, that she gave up just one of her pursuits – rowing. After moving to Australia for 6 months, Molly took up rowing again because she missed being on the water. As a role model and spokesperson for Ireland, Molly hopes to not only work with cancer charities, but also focus on some of the hard issues facing the country, like significant increase in suicide.

**bonner** Tue Jul 10, 2018 6:02 am

Michaela believes in the power of women and their ability to balance femininity with strength and confidence. She studied art history at University College Dublin, then art in Florence, Italy. It was in Italy that she noticed men painted most of the pieces featuring women. She began to paint her own artwork and found it powerful and inspiring to embrace the female body, not as a sex symbol, but as a beautiful, multi-dimensional figure. Michaela believes some women feel ashamed to dress a certain way because society interprets feminine clothing and makeup as vacant pursuits. However, she feels strongly that everyone should be able to express their gender equality and not feel as if they need to sacrifice something to be taken seriously. She hopes to sell her art throughout Ireland and abroad and use it as a method to communicate this message across languages and nationalities.

**bonner** Tue Jul 10, 2018 6:02 am

A student and athlete, Naomi loves to sing, to pretty much everything. She is currently studying Music and Philosophy at University College Dublin. Naomi loves how music gives you a way to express yourself and Philosophy a way to understand others and their perspectives. She has always been interested in learning about others, even animals. As a child, her mam gave her a little magnifying glass in a cup so she could inspect small insects. Shy and quiet herself, Naomi learned the most from other children who didn’t quite fit in. Now, Naomi dreams of working as a model and becoming a leader for the women of Ireland (and beyond). Ever concerned about the more vulnerable, Naomi wants to work withthe Alzheimer Society of Ireland to honour, protect, and help elders.

**bonner** Tue Jul 10, 2018 6:03 am

When Anna was only 17 years-old, she took a chance on herself and moved to Spain, alone. There she not only discovered the richness of the Spanish culture, but herself. It was in Spain that Anna began her modelling career because she did not want to regret a chance she didn’t take.

By living on her own, she learned that being beautiful is about more than physical traits. It encompasses being warm, kind, and confident. She want to share that message with others and thinks Miss Universe Ireland is the perfect organization to empower women. She supports the Irish Pilgrimage Trust, a charity that travels on pilgrimage to Lourdes with young people with special needs, and she hopes to travel with them in the future.

**bonner** Mon Jul 16, 2018 7:45 am

Sophie is a psychiatric nurse. She currently works in the only Irish facility that specializes in Huntington’s Disease. Her work causes her to be passionate about mental health for all ages and shines a light on the special needs for people with mental illnesses.

She knows it can take determination, and she is no stranger to hard work herself. In 2014, Sophie was in a car accident that left her with serious neck, back, and shoulder injuries that made it so she was unable to work for two years. She had to attend physical therapy twice a week to recover, but she finally is healthy, returned to work, returned to the gym, and returned to fully embracing herself. She is also a supporter of Irish Kidney Association, which helped her grandfather when he had a kidney transplant.

**bonner** Mon Jul 16, 2018 7:46 am

Megan is studying fashion in her first year of college. She is very proud to be attending a well-known art school because she struggles with dyslexia and had high anxiety during exams. Having experienced bullying because of her own learning disability and helping a family member with development issues, Megan is dedicated to assisting children with special needs. She was involved in the St Benildus College’s Integration through Sports Day. As a role model in fashion and a brand ambassador on social media, Megan hopes to use her influence to start the conversation about special needs, program integration, and body and mental health positivity. She wants a diverse community to represent Ireland and show the world what the country can offer.

**bonner** Mon Jul 16, 2018 7:46 am

Lauren is passionate about nutrition and disease management. She has a postgraduate certificate in Food Nutrition and Health, which she hopes to use one day as a Dietician. Lauren wants to assist people in creating healthy, nutritious diets, particularly when managing diseases in hospitals. Her final year project, as an undergraduate, was to organize a community event that promoted healthy eating strategies. The event targeted parents of primary school children to instil good habits early in life. She was asked by the Irish Country Women’s Association to give a speech on her community event and the importance of health, food, and nutrition. With the growing popularity of social media, Lauren wants to combat negative comparisons and show girls what makes them unique makes them beautiful.

**bonner** Mon Jul 16, 2018 7:47 am

Chloe has high ambitions. The computer science student and competitive horse rider hopes to be the CEO of a technology company one day. Chloe is used to the leadership roles. She was a member of her student council and 1st in the Punchestown Show Jumping Competition. In addition to being confident and hardworking, Chloe is a caring individual. After Harolds Cross Hospice assisted her grandfather as he battled cancer, she came up with a way to raise money for the charity. She turned her house into a Haunted House for Halloween, complete with music, blow-ups, people in costumes, and a person watching over a mystic ball

**bonner** Mon Jul 16, 2018 7:48 am

Emma describes herself as friendly, adventurous, and caring. She is certainly adventurous; she went skydiving, jumping out of a plane at 15,000 feet! She also travelled to Australia by herself just to see the other side of the world. Her goal is to become an international reporter; a career with
which her adventurous side will help her flourish. Emma was a shy child, but no more! She is ready to show people that it is possible to gain confidence and achieve your goals. Mental health is close to her heart. Emma hopes to work with the charities Pieta House @pieta.house and Samaritans as they have directly helped people she knows.

**bonner** Mon Jul 16, 2018 7:48 am

Christina loves to sing and hopes to become a professional singer, model, or journalist. In September, she will head to college to study journalism and news media. Although she tends to shy away from new things, she tries to overcome her fears and push herself to try new experiences and opportunities. As a model and spokesperson, Christina hopes to be an ambassador for anti-bullying and mental health. She wants to travel to schools to speak to youth and share her own experiences quelling personal insecurities.

**bonner** Mon Jul 16, 2018 7:49 am

Rebekah dreams of being an international representative of Ireland through modeling and televison production. She loves our “small, but mighty” country and wants to show the world how her inner determination is a reflection of our country’s strength. Rebekah used to struggle with her confidence. Now, she wants to show others that the most important thing is to believe in yourself and work for your own self improvement, not because of someone else. Children’s charities are what Rebekah is most passionate about, as she worked as an ambassador for Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice. She hopes to continue working with children to help them feel empowered and confident. In particular, she wants to be an advocate for children’s cancer charities to help children have the best quality of life.

**bonner** Mon Jul 16, 2018 7:49 am

Aoife is currently a student studying International Commerce through French and works as a model. She dreams of using her degree to become an entrepreneur in the fashion industry. Working as a model, Aoife had to beat Koumpounophobia – fear of buttons! She may have disliked buttons, but public speaking does not phase
her at all. She participated in several English and Irish debates and speaking events while in school. She enjoys the challenge of understanding an audience and finding a way to communicate and engage with them. As an aspiring business woman, Aoife fights for gender equality and for the empowerment of women in business. When a friend asked if she was worried if the bikini portion of the Miss Universe competition would impact her future, Aoife became even more determined to prove that being body positive should not hold a woman back, particularly in a male dominant industry.

**bonner** Mon Jul 16, 2018 7:50 am

Maria is studying Law and English at National University of Ireland, Galway and hopes to become a primary school teacher. When people first look at her, they see a “girly girl.” Maria agrees. In fact, one of her fondest childhood memories is the Christmas when she received a treasure box filled with princess dresses, high-heeled shoes, jewelry, and a silver tiara. She loved wearing the tiara for every occasion. But she is also a country girl. She grew up helping her father rear lambs and horseback riding throughout the countryside. She now volunteers with Liskennett Equine Therapy, which combines her two loves – children and horses. The center provides equine therapy for children and adults with autism and Down Syndrome. Maria also loves to travel. She received a scholarship from University College Cork to study Chinese in Shanghai. She hopes to fill her passport with many more stamps.

**bonner** Mon Jul 16, 2018 7:50 am

Elana co-founded Tough Glove Boxing, which focuses on helping people get fit while learning self-defence. She is concerned that the rise of social media leads to false perceptions, which in turn generates anxiety, depression, and poor body positivity. She hopes to use her company and her influence in the health/fitness industry to help other women be happy and confident in their own bodies. While she wants people to take social media less seriously, she recognizes its power and thus promotes healthy body images on her accounts. She also uses it to share her own bravery like when she picked a trip location at random by pointing her finger on a map. Elana wants to work with Jigsaw the National Centre for Youth Mental Health to help young people reduce the strain of mental health struggles. The Irish Cancer Society and Simon Communities Ireland are also dear to her heart.

**bonner** Mon Jul 16, 2018 7:51 am

Aishah’s path to the Miss Universe Ireland competition was not an easy one, but she has overcoming bullying and low self-esteem to become a Juice Plus Brand Ambassador and have a YouTube channel. Aishah is a bit of a daredevil, in a cautious way. She once went paintballing with only a protective helmet, but hid most of the game to avoid being hit. She loves anime and cannot understand the stigma against females liking it. Inspired by her scientist mother who relied on her own inner strength and courage to succeed, Aishah dreams of becoming a barrister and work with organisations like Soroptimist Ireland to empower other women and help them reach their full potential. She wants to end bullying once and for all.

**bonner** Mon Jul 16, 2018 7:52 am

Aisling is a Physiotherapist who loves her job. She gets to meet a variety of different people and help them become healthier and more active in their daily lives. She lived in the Netherlands to learn more about her chosen career, and herself. She plans to open her own practice. Aisling was sacred to learn that Ireland is set to become one of the most obese countries in the European Union.

She believes that a significant amount of false information is shared, particularly on social media, with the public about health,
exercise, and nutrition. She wants to use her own education to instruct and train others. She views exercise itself as a form of medication and wants to make health information easier for people to understand. Aisling is also concerned by the high suicide rates in Ireland and hopes to work with Pieta House @pieta.house to help provide treatments.

**bonner** Mon Jul 16, 2018 7:52 am

After graduating with honours and a bachelor of science, Grainne went into nursing. She enjoys working with others and helping those in need. Her colleagues nominated her to go on BBC’s Great British Menu where she tasted food and gave special thanks to all the medical staff on the front line. Female health and empowerment is particularly important to Grainne. She believes in using her voice and potential Miss Universe Ireland platform to raise awareness about women’s health. She hopes to open her own health clinic one day that will establish new community standards for modern medicine and help. Grainne loves that Miss Universe is not just about a single definition of beauty and believes in utilising the platform to promote female health.

**bonner** Mon Jul 16, 2018 7:53 am

Megan wrote and performed in her first original play in January 2018. It was called HOME and dealt with the eighth amendment and sexual consent. It has not been, however, an easy road for Megan to feel comfortable on stage. She spent years feeling ashamed of her appearance. Megan tried modelling, but constantly faced contempt for her size – a UK 10. One company even refused to pay her because of her measurements, even after the photos were released online and received positive responses. But she is dedicated to her craft and once lived in a room with no windows so she could pursue acting and modelling. After self reflection, Megan now sees herself as confident and beautiful. She wants to share her story and help other women overcome their embarrassment

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Road to Miss Universe IRELAND 2018 - winner is Grainne Gallanagh

Road to Miss Universe IRELAND 2018 - winner is Grainne Gallanagh

Re: Road to Miss Universe IRELAND 2018 - winner is Grainne Gallanagh

Re: Road to Miss Universe IRELAND 2018 - winner is Grainne Gallanagh

Re: Road to Miss Universe IRELAND 2018 - winner is Grainne Gallanagh

Re: Road to Miss Universe IRELAND 2018 - winner is Grainne Gallanagh

Re: Road to Miss Universe IRELAND 2018 - winner is Grainne Gallanagh

Re: Road to Miss Universe IRELAND 2018 - winner is Grainne Gallanagh

Re: Road to Miss Universe IRELAND 2018 - winner is Grainne Gallanagh

Re: Road to Miss Universe IRELAND 2018 - winner is Grainne Gallanagh

Re: Road to Miss Universe IRELAND 2018 - winner is Grainne Gallanagh

Re: Road to Miss Universe IRELAND 2018 - winner is Grainne Gallanagh

Re: Road to Miss Universe IRELAND 2018 - winner is Grainne Gallanagh

Re: Road to Miss Universe IRELAND 2018 - winner is Grainne Gallanagh

Re: Road to Miss Universe IRELAND 2018 - winner is Grainne Gallanagh

Re: Road to Miss Universe IRELAND 2018 - winner is Grainne Gallanagh

Re: Road to Miss Universe IRELAND 2018 - winner is Grainne Gallanagh

Re: Road to Miss Universe IRELAND 2018 - winner is Grainne Gallanagh

Re: Road to Miss Universe IRELAND 2018 - winner is Grainne Gallanagh

Re: Road to Miss Universe IRELAND 2018 - winner is Grainne Gallanagh

Re: Road to Miss Universe IRELAND 2018 - winner is Grainne Gallanagh

Re: Road to Miss Universe IRELAND 2018 - winner is Grainne Gallanagh

Re: Road to Miss Universe IRELAND 2018 - winner is Grainne Gallanagh

Re: Road to Miss Universe IRELAND 2018 - winner is Grainne Gallanagh

Re: Road to Miss Universe IRELAND 2018 - winner is Grainne Gallanagh

Re: Road to Miss Universe IRELAND 2018 - winner is Grainne Gallanagh

Re: Road to Miss Universe IRELAND 2018 - winner is Grainne Gallanagh