Lauren dedicates Miss Ireland win to brother she lost
TEENAGER Lauren McDonagh was still pinching herself yesterday after becoming the 70th Miss Ireland. The 18year-old from Buncrana, Co. Donegal, said she didn’t think it would ever sink in.
And the 5ft11in beauty said she was dedicating her crown to her home county, her family and her late brother Darren, who died from muscular dystrophy at age 17 when she was just eight.
Lauren’s proud mum Ann gave her a photo of Darren seconds after she was named the winner at a glitzy bash at Dublin’s Crowne Plaza Hotel on Friday.
‘Mammy came up to me with the flowers and she had a wee heart with Darren’s photo in it so it was just so personal,’ said student Lauren, who was in tears after her win.
The bubbly teenager, the youngest in the family, said she would have loved her two other brothers to be there but the eldest, Jason, 28, lives in San Francisco and Kieran, 23, was at a wedding with his girlfriend.
Mum Ann said: ‘I am just ecstatic for Donegal. I now have a Miss Ireland in the house but she will stay grounded.’