Elizabeth’s big holiday win - but school comes first

A wonderful story from 1985 about a Drogheda girl who won a holiday to the Costa del Sol - but couldn’t go because she was studying for the Leaving in Greenhills!

‘Drogheda girl Elizabeth Jolly had a fantasy come true recently when she won a holiday for two on the Costa del Sol.

However Liz soon showed that she was more than a pretty face when she offered to give her dream-prize away as a wedding present!

Elizabeth, from 222 Melllfont Park, Drogheda, won the fabulous prize when she was voted “Miss Fantasy 1985” in a competition run by the Fantasy Gardens Nightclub in the Rossnaree Hotel.

The judges chose Elizabeth as the winner for her bubbly personality as well as her obvious good looks, but they could not have guessed at her generosity until after her amazing announcement that she was making a present of her holiday. Elizabeth offered her prize to a cousin who is getting married, but she had no sooner offered it than the cousin too turned it down! However Elizabeth then realised that she couldn’t possibly go on the holiday as it had to be taken in October and she would then be at school.

Elizabeth is a student at Our Lady’s College, Greenhills, and is studying for her Leaving Certificate examinations this year, so a holiday in the Costa del Sol in October would have been quite out of the question.

“I am back at school now and I knew that I couldn’t go on the holiday before the Leaving so I gave it to my Mum and Dad instead,” she said this week.

Mr. and Mrs. Jolly now have their daughter’s good looks, charm, generosity and Leaving Cert to thank for their unexpected holiday in the Costa del Soland here’s hoping they enjoy it. , Meanwhile “Miss Fantasy” will be at home in Drogheda with her nose buried in the schoolbooks—and hopes she gets as good a result from the exams as she did from the beauty contest.’