Busy year for Miss Clare

IT is just six weeks until 2013’s Miss Clare will be crowned and organisers are calling on young women around the county to enter before the St Valentine’s Day deadline.

 

According to reigning Miss Clare, Hazel McMahon, it is a title well worth winning and has given her a year she will never forget.

“It was an exciting year for me, delving into new experiences like participating in Miss Ireland and modelling. I am a psychiatric nurse for Clare Mental Health but somehow I succeeded to nurse full-time and fit in the extra duties and events that go hand in hand with being Miss Clare,” she explained.
For Hazel, the idea of entering the competition this time last year was daunting.

“When I was approached to enter Miss Clare, I was apprehensive about entering. Since I could walk I have a competitive streak in me from being a sport fanatic. I didn’t think for a second that I could win a beauty competition, so why would I enter a beauty competition as I haven’t the slightest chance of winning, I thought.

“Thinking it over, I had a change of heart and said I’d enter for a new experience and thought it could be fun. I realise to achieve anything you must have faith in yourself and have determination.

“My aim was to be myself and if the judges liked me, I would be picked and there was nothing else I could do. Johnny Collins, owner of The Sports Bar, Newmarket sponsored me and said he believed that I would do great and wished me every luck. So when I did win it, I nearly died.

“When I glanced down at the audience and saw my Mam and Nana crying when my name was called out, I couldn’t hold back the tears myself. When I saw all my supporters jumping around the room with excitement that I had won and my boyfriend ecstatically jumping onto the stage, the feeling I got was indescribable. It was nearly better than scoring any goal on a hurling field,” she said.
While the Clare woman didn’t go on to take the Miss Ireland crown, she found the competition rewarding and picked up a few other accolades, and friends, on the way.

According to Hazel, the support she received throughout the process made her year as Miss Clare even more special.
“The support that I got from my family and friends was unbelievable. A big gang of my friends and family followed me to Dublin last April, where I competed in Miss Ireland against 35 beauties. They consisted of intelligent, educated and beautiful ladies inside and out. I was proud to say I was part of it. It all felt very surreal that I was competing to go on to Miss World. I made it to the final 15 and won Miss Photogenic and Miss Vita Liberata.

“I found the support of the general public of Clare overwhelming. I could not believe that so many people were delighted to see me do well and people I don’t even know took time out to vote for me in online competitions that were run by Miss Ireland. That was a massive boost for me to represent my county as best I could.

“You truly see community spirit come alive when you are involved in these events. It made me proud to say I was representing Clare,” she said.
In her role as Miss Clare, she took on a variety of new challenges on the local and national stage.

“Some of the highlights of my year were organising a charity Tanathon and raising €2,000 for TLC4CF, a charity for cystic fibrosis that is very close to my heart. I modelled for Vita Liberata in the RDS, Dublin at Women’s World exhibition. I was filmed in Celebrity Salon getting my spray tan done from Greg Lake and it was aired on TV3. I did an official opening of a store in Shannon and also the opening of a community market for Tidy Towns in Newmarket-on-Fergus.

“Newmarket is my hometown and in recent years a village festival is held. This year I was asked to MC, presenting all the bands on stage and got the crowd going, which was a lot of fun. Aslan were the headline act I had the pleasure of welcoming onto stage.

“I helped organise the first ever Mr Ennis competition and we raised €2,000 for St James’ Hospital in Dublin. I started modelling with a new agency in Clare called Coast Model Management and I helped in promoting Rainbows of Remembrance, which is a charity that holds a day to acknowledge and remember babies lost through stillbirth or neo-natal death.

“All these were memorable moments that may not have happened if I had not won this competition. I would definitely recommend girls to take part in it this year. It’s an opportunity that can lead you down different paths if you believe in yourself,” she added.

This year Hazel was approached to organise the Miss Clare contest. Now she, along with Tess Purcell of Coast Model Management, is beginning the search for the young woman who will take her crown and the role of Miss Clare 2013.

“Potential contestants must be at least 5’ 7” in height, aged between 17 and 23, unmarried and without children. Anyone who is looking for more information or entry forms can contact me at missclare2013@yahoo.ie and I will be happy to forward the details,” she said.
This year’s Miss Clare pageant will take place in The Auburn Lodge Hotel on March 14 at 8pm and will be hosted by Leanne Moore.