A LARGE crowd turned out for this year’s Miss Limerick and Miss Spin South West finals, which took place this Thursday night in the Limerick Strand Hotel.
Gemma Reilly from Castletroy was crowned Miss Limerick and is to represent her city at this year’s Miss Universe Ireland 2010 Pageant which is being held at the Wright Venue in Dublin on July 9.
The 19-year-old was sponsored by Mathew Stephens Jewellers and told this reporter following her win: “I never expected to win as I never won anything in my life and I can’t believe it”.
The winner of Miss Spin South West is Orla Kelly a 22-year-old from County Tipperary and sponsored by a local fashion shop, Marie Therese Boutique in Thurles.
The winners were selected after passing rigorous questions from six judges who included Anne O’Halloran, Catriona Hoy, Becky Costello, Shane Lenihan, Criodhna Mulvihill and Lorraine Turner.
Both winners will now go forward to compete with 30 other girls in the Ireland final on July 9.
Started in 1961, the Miss Universe Ireland beauty pageant has grown with hundreds of girls vying to win the prestigious competition to represent Ireland.
The national director of Miss Universe Ireland, Andrea Roche told the Limerick Post: “The winner in Dublin on July 9, will go forward to represent Ireland at the Miss Universe 2010 Pageant in the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino Las Vegas on August 23, 2010″.
The event was organised by Celia Holman-Lee who has been involved in the running of the contest for over twenty-five years.
