Buncrana’s Lauren crowned Miss Ireland

Buncrana teenager Lauren McDonagh has become Inishowen’s first ever Miss Ireland after winning the beauty pageant at a ceremony in Dublin last Friday night.

Three months ago, Lauren McDonagh was sitting her Leaving Certificate Exam in Crana College, and now the stunning Buncrana girl will travel to China in November to represent Ireland at the Miss World competition.

Daughter of Ann and Tom McDonagh, Lauren was welcomed back to Buncrana on Saturday night with a parade into the town and a reception in the Plaza ballroom.

“Everyone has been so supportive, I’m by humbled by how nice everyone has been,” Lauren told the Inishowen Independent on Monday.

“I feel like I’m doing this for Buncrana – everywhere I go I tell people where I’m from. I’m going to put Buncrana on the map.”

Lauren is the second Donegal woman to win Miss Ireland. Gaoth Dobhair native Natasha Nic Gairbeith won the title in 2004.

Damian Dowds

Damian studied at NUI Maynooth and worked with Intel Ireland on graduation. Followings stints as a civil servant in Leinster House, and with magazine publisher Ashville Media, he returned to Inishowen to set up the Inishowen Independent in 2007.

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