LADIES DAY!
LOUTH GAA TEAM AND BEAUTY QUEEN CHELSEA FARRELL CLINCH ALL-IRELAND GLORY FOR THE WEE COUNTY
IT was celebrations on the double for the women of Louth last weekend as the county’s GAA team won the All-Ireland and local girl, Chelsea Farrell (right), was crowned Miss Ireland.
Louth were awesome in their Junior decider with Fermanagh, winning by 3-13 to 2-6 to clinch their sixth victory in the competition.
Captain marvel Kate Flood destroyed the Ulster kingpins in a dramatic first half, scoring 1-5 out of 1-6 as Louth led by seven points.
After the break, Niamh Rice and Lauren Boyle also found the net as the ladies romped home.
Chelsea Farrell, meanwhile, booked her place in the Miss World contest final in London on December 14th.
She pipped 32 other contestants to win Miss Ireland at a packed Helix. Past winners of the crown have included Holly Carpenter, Amanda Brunker, Andrea Roche and Rosanna Davison. Her family and friends, including proud parents, Carrie and Derek, were on hand to celebrate her terrific success. FULL STORIES INSIDE
STUDENT midwife Chelsea Farrell will be swapping her scrubs for a ballgown once more, as the former Miss Louth was crowned Miss Ireland at a glittering ceremony in the Helix on Saturday night.
This means the 19-year-old Ardee woman will represent Ireland on the global stage in the Miss World pageant in London in December, after beating 32 other young women from all over Ireland to the title.
“It is amazing, and I really never expected to win - I didn’t set out to – as I take every day as it comes and was just myself, and I came out, and was crowned!”, she told the Drogheda Independent excitedly.
“I have loved every minute of my experience in Miss Ireland so far, and I am so excited for the year ahead.”
Despite initial disappointment that the competition will be held this year in the UK instead of the Far East, she is now seeing the upside to it.
“I am such a home bird, and now my whole family is coming over to London with me on November 20th, three weeks ahead of the contest, as otherwise I would have been on my own,” she says.
“I was due to start college again this morning, but I took the day off, and hope to continue my education, fitting in all my duties around it, but if not, I will just defer for a year, as I am only 19.”
And Chelsea certainly will be kept busy with her charity work.
“I want to do as much as I can for Variety Ireland, and Down Syndrome Ireland, as my auntie Donna Crilly has Down Syndrome,” she adds.
“But it’s also very important to me to start going into the schools and talking about mental health and social media pressures, as I think it’s better coming from someone my age, and it’s not being talked about enough.”
The annual event was hosted by stylist Brendan Marc Scully and former Miss Ireland Aoife Walsh, who flew in from New York especially for the event.
Such a prestigious contest requires a top panel of judges and the people with the difficult task of selecting the 72nd Miss Ireland included singer and former Dancing with the Stars champion Jake Carter and beauty entrepreneur Suzanne Jackson.
“I never expected my name to be called out as I stood in line with all of these fabulous ladies, each and every one of the girls who I shared the stage with are so beautiful both inside and out,” she added. “I cannot wait to represent my country in Miss World, and I will continue to do my county, and now my country proud.”
Photographer Evan Doherty, stylist Sonja Molich and former Miss Ireland and aesthetics clinic owner Rebecca Maguire were also judges.