By Eoin McGarvey
A 19-year-old Rosses woman has become the 58th Mary from Dungloe following the annual ten-day festival that has been hailed as one of the best for years.
Student Ellie Ward from Dungloe was crowned the winner on Sunday night in Ionad Sport na Rosann where singer Daniel O’Donnell interviewed the 15 participants in front of a capacity crowd. She is the seventh participant representing Dungloe to take the title.
A popular choice, Ellie was greeted on stage by her parents, Oliver and Aine, siblings, Oisin and Aaron, her boyfriend, Oisin McKelvey, who was also her escort for the week, and many other family members.
No stranger to representing Dungloe or Donegal, Ellie has been playing Gaelic football for Dungloe GAA since 2016 and Donegal LGFA from 2018. She was delighted to have recently received a sports scholarship for Gaelic football in ATU Letterkenny for the 24/25 season where she is currently studying Health Science with Physiotherapy.
Sponsored by Sweeney’s Homevalue in Cloughwally just outside Dungloe, Ellie works in the Bridge Inn on the town’s main street.
Hundreds of people poured on to Dungloe’s main street just before midnight when news emerged that the local woman had taken the title.
Speaking to the Donegal News a delighted Ellie said she is looking forward to following in the footsteps of outgoing winner Clare O’Donnell, adding the Letterkenny woman has already given her some tips.
2025 Mary from Dungloe winner Ellie Ward receives her crown from 2024 winner Clare O’Donnell.
“This is a massive night for the community of Dungloe and surrounding areas and I’m just absolutely honoured to have been selected as the 58th Mary from Dungloe,” Ellie said.
“I had such a magical week surrounded by the most fabulous bunch of girls and I don’t know how the judges selected me as the winner, but I’m delighted they did.”
Festival co-director Gavin Boyle said it has been a great festival with everything going according to plan from start to finish, adding that they’ve been so well looked after by the people of Dungloe.
“We have a worthy winner selected here tonight and we’re thrilled that our local girl Ellie has been selected as the 2025 Mary from Dungloe,” he said.
“We had a great bunch of girls this year since we started selecting in May and they all got on really well together. They were all excellent and the judges certainly had a difficult decision.”
Daniel O’Donnell, who hosted the crowning cabaret, said it was a great festival, adding that he is delighted to see it going from strength to strength each year.
“We were blessed with good weather and thanks to Gavin, Pat, the committee and volunteers for their great work,” he said.
“The atmosphere on the street tonight when Ellie was introduced was just unbelievable.
“She is a beautiful girl and I think everybody agrees that Ellie is a worthy winner. There were so many beautiful girls this year and the standard was very high.”
Crona Byrne was chairperson of the five-person judging panel and she told the Donegal News that the Marys were just incredible this year, making it a difficult job for them.
“From start to finish they were absolutely amazing. These girls are a credit and it was such a hard decision to make. We did manage to whittle it down to four initially. Ellie is a great great choice, very much liked and has been a great hostess to the visiting girls. Everybody is raving about her.”
This year’s Little Miss Mary is Cora Mc Hugh, and her little escort is Finn Boyle, while 15 young girls were also chosen as Mini Marys for the first time this year.
This year’s festival was undoubtedly one of the best for years with record numbers attending events and a programme that filled every one of the ten days with something for everyone.
