THE search for the next representatives of the 59th Mary from Dungloe International Arts Festival is officially underway, with the first selection event taking place in Dungloe over the weekend.
Shauna McDonagh was crowned as the 2026 Mary from Dungloe.
This year’s selection holds special significance for Shauna as her mother Carol was the Meath Mary back in 1989.
Carol’s escort that year was Seamus McDonagh, Shauna’s father. The pair fell in love and now their story is being relived through their daughter, as history comes full circle.
The selection of Shauna was decided by a panel of three judges, including Seán Ó Baoill from TG4, who works closely with the festival each year, 2022 Gaeltacht Mary Shauna Doherty from Ranafast and Ciara Boyle, who represented the Crolly Festival.
Ellie Ward, the current Mary from Dungloe, was also on hand for the event.
Ellie, who was crowned the 2025 Mary, has spent the past year serving as an ambassador for the festival, as well as for her native Dungloe and Donegal.
Over the coming months, she will travel to New York and Philadelphia to represent the festival abroad.
During the event, which took place at the Midway Bar in Dungloe, Ellie had the honour of placing the Mary from Dungloe 2026 sash on her successor.
Looking ahead, a number of selection events are planned for the New Year, taking place across Donegal, Ireland and internationally.
