Letterkenny’s Kirsty O’Donnell and Donegal Town’s Nicole Harron have made it to the final stages of the environmentally themed beauty pageant.

Kirsty, a student nurse, is no stranger to a beauty pageant and was crowned Miss Donegal in 2021.

Speaking to the Donegal News Kirsty said she decided to apply after doing a lot of community work last summer and seeing how changes in your lifestyle can both benefit the planet and yourself.

“My take on it is if you are good to the earth then you are being good to yourself,” she said.

Miss Earth Ireland is an annual competition which selects the Irish representative for Miss Earth, one of the biggest international pageants in the world. Its mission is to find “beauties for a cause” and strives to promote environmental awareness, conversation, sustainability and social responsibility as well as to highlight the Irish tourism industry and all it has to offer.

Kirsty said she has really enjoyed getting out in the community and meeting people as part of her role as Miss Donegal. The 20-year-old student held some very successful fundraisers in that time for Little Angels Special School and Donegal Hospice.

“It will be nice to meet another group of girls. I’m really looking forward to it,” added Kirsty.

Kirsty will be sponsored by Letterkenny’s Pure Boutique and will be wearing some of their dresses in the final.

Nicole Harron (27) is also no stranger to a beauty pageant and was crowned Miss Donegal Town last year. Nicole is a graduate of a bachelor’s degree in Business and completed her honours in Human Resource Management. She is now working as an insurance agent with Britton Insurance.

“I was a finalist in Miss Ireland last year and there was a selection for the Ireland representative for Miss Earth but I was already in the final for Miss Ireland so I didn’t enter but I had been following the competition. This year I said I am going to go for it.

“It is different to other beauty pageants because it has a message.”

Nicole said fashion sustainability and environmental awareness are issues that are important to her and she is keen to educate herself more on the topics.

She has been sponsored for the competition by ‘Fiona’s Hair and Beauty Studio’.

There are 22 finalists in the competition so far who will all attend an orientation day this Saturday when they will get the chance to get to know eachother.

Each contestant will have to hold their own fundraiser before the final in the Mount Falcon Estate in Mayo in May.