By Eoin McGarvey
The curtain came down on the 2024 Mary from Dungloe Festival on Sunday night when pharmacy technician Clare O’Donnell from Letterkenny was announced as the 57th winner of the Mary title.
Born and bred in Letterkenny, Clare, 26 is a daughter of Gerard and Iris O’Donnell and was delighted to be representing her home county at the festival.
Clare completed her studies at Donegal ATU in Letterkenny and now works as a popular pharmacy technician in Brennan’s Pharmacy in the town.
Festival co-directors Gavin Boyle and Pat Conaghan with Clare O’Donnell and her boyfriend Adam Bonnar at the crowning cabaret.
She is passionate about keeping fit and loves the outdoors. She can often be found walking in Glenveagh National Park with her two dogs Cosmo and Orbit who were spoken about during her on-stage interview with Daniel O’Donnell.
Just four weeks ago Clare took up Irish dancing and she displayed her newfound hobby on stage at the crowning cabaret.
It was a trip down memory lane for Clare’s family as they attended the crowning cabaret 40 years after Clare’s aunt Siobhan represented Donegal at the festival.
2024 Mary from Dungloe winner Clare O’Donnell with family members as Daniel O’Donnell.
Speaking to the Donegal News, a delighted Clare said it meant so much to her to have been crowned the 2024 Mary from Dungloe.
“I feel like I’m reliving from 40 years ago when my aunty Siobhan represented Donegal at the festival,” she said.
“I brought my whole family, and I feel they are reliving the whole experience.
“I just can’t believe I won. I’m over the moon and it means so, so much to me. It also means so much to my family for them all to be here celebrating and so happy,” she said.
Noel Cunningham with Mary from Dungloe winner Clare O’Donnell.
Clare paid tribute to all this year’s contestants, saying they all had a fantastic time together.
“I don’t know how the judges picked just one out of the fourteen. Everyone was just fantastic, and I will be friends with the girls for life,” she said.
Clare will now have a busy year ahead as she helps the committee to promote the festival at home and abroad.
“I’m going to be so proud representing Dungloe and Donegal for the next year and I’m so excited for the coming year,” she added.
Clare was presented with a host of prizes from sponsors Mc Elhinney’s Stores, Healthwise, Bonner’s of Dungloe, and the Gray Room, together with the Gay Byrne perpetual tiara, the original Mary from Dungloe medallion chain.
Clare O’Donnell with her aunt Siobhan who was the Donegal Mary 40 years ago.
Daniel O’Donnell, who hosted the crowning cabaret, said it was a great week overall in Dungloe.
“They were all a great bunch of girls. I got to meet them all during the week and they represented their centres to a high degree, each and every one of them,” he said.
“Clare is going to be a beautiful representative for Dungloe for the next year.”
Proud parents Gerard and Iris O’Donnell with daughter Clare after she was crowned 2024 Mary from Dungloe.
He agreed that the festival is now going from strength to strength and paid tribute to Gavin Boyle, Pat Nora Gallagher, Pat Conaghan and the many people who pull and work together to make it happen.
“We need this festival so much in the area and I’m just so grateful to everybody who works tirelessly in every area of it doing all the things that need to be done,” he added.
This year’s festival has been described by many as one of the best in decades with 110 events planned and run to cater for all ages.
Despite one of the worst carnival parade weather days ever, it didn’t deter the floats or the hundreds who came out with their umbrellas to line the street.
Festival co-director Pat Nora Gallagher said Clare O’Donnell was a very popular choice as the winning Mary and was very popular among the other contestants as well which, he said, is a real indication that the judges made a good call.
“Overall for the week I think the girls all enjoyed themselves,” he said.
“It was very, very busy as you know with 110 events, and despite Sunday’s downpour we still had a big crowd on the main street which was really, really encouraging.”
As regards next year’s festival, Pat said the planning gets underway again in September.
“Isn’t the whole idea that any new ideas we come up with we’ll try and improve on them and add in any other new ones. Not everything is a success, but we do our best,” he added.
This year’s Little Miss Mary was Naoise Sweeney and her escort was Jack Ward.
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