Barefield’s Miss Ireland has already placed in the top 10 for talent at Miss World

Miss Ireland, Barefield’s Dr Ivanna McMahon is captivating audiences at the Miss World final in New Delhi, India this week. Her performance on the harp secured her a top 10 placement for talent, ensuring her a spot to perform at the esteemed Miss World ball this weekend.
With her display of talent, Ivanna is poised to make a lasting impression before the final selection of Miss World on Saturday night.  Ivanna also placed as a finalist in the public speaking challenge this week and stood out as one of the most highly educated and articulate contestants this year. 
The 29 year old was crowned Miss Ireland 2022 and now finally she will get her moment on the world stage and represent Ireland at Miss World.  The competition was due to take place in 2023 but was postponed as a knock on effect of the pandemic.  
Ivanna has already been spotted as a contender for the world crown by international pageant experts to follow in the footsteps of our previous Irish Miss World Rosanna Davison.  
Ivanna studied medicine at University College Cork and graduated in 2020.  She went on to do her internship at Cork University Hospital and did cardiology and neurology. Then she went to University Hospital Tralee to work in surgery. She worked in the GP Scheme at Tralee General Hospital throughout the pandemic.  During her reign as Miss Ireland she went to South Africa to lend her medical expertise as a doctor for a few months.  
She also represented the Dyslexia Association of Ireland (DAI) and spoke at a  briefing for Oireachtas members to highlight the challenges faced by dyslexic people in Ireland and described her lived experience as a person with dyslexia outlining her journey to understand and embrace her dyslexia and also the challenges she faced through the Irish school system and higher education to become a doctor.
Ivanna took the title of Miss Ireland having wowed guests at the Miss Ireland Diamond ball with her performance Cosmic Love by Florence and the Machine on the electric Harp. She started playing the harp at the age of 13 and has played with the National Irish Harp Orchestra  and toured Germany and Austria.  She also plays six other instruments including the drums, harmonica, fiddle, bodhrán and tin whistle and won all Ireland Championships for drums and harmonica.  Ivanna is also a fluent Irish speaker.