Irish teac her Josephine is crowned Miss Macra
THERE will be no hurling glory this year, but Kilkenny has secured a national prize with the International Miss Macra title.
Josephine O’Neill, a secondary school teacher from Maddoxtown in Co Kilkenny, won the coveted crown at the 47th International Miss Macra Festival 2018.
In doing so, she beat off competition from 23 other contestants from all over Ireland.
Ms O’Neill (24), who is a leading member of Callan Macra, is currently teaching both home economics and Irish to secondary school pupils in Cross and Passion College, Kilcullen, Co Kildare.
She is heavily involved in Macra, both at club and county level.
She has been secretary (2016-2018), assistant secretary and vicepresident for the county and has organised many events.
Leadership
These included the hurling competition over the weekend of Mr Personality, which was hosted in Kilkenny for Macra members from across Ireland.
Ms O’Neill was a member of the Callan Macra na Feirme 70th anniversary celebrations committee, she received a silver leadership award in 2017, and has reached national finals in impromptu public speaking and debating with Macra.
Trisha Delahunty, of Seandún Macra in Co Cork, came second, while Rebecca Brunt of Fermanagh came third.