Miss Limerick shares her story of trials and tribulations during her pageantry journey
LOOKING out at the overcast sky on a chilly November morning, Miss Limerick steps out of her car and shines just as brightly as she did on the national stage.
With a slight shiver and holding a warm, sweet coffee in hand, Alicia O’Callaghan poses in the dewy grass in a glittering, full-length ball gown.
Her sash droops slightly as she tries to balance in high heels, sinking into the wet grass, while tiny goose pimples rise to the surface of her skin. However, like a true pro, she keeps on smiling.
“I have never been in a pageant before and it was not something I had been particularly interested in, until I started this journey,” Alicia says, as she retreats to the cosy warmth of the open fire in the drawing room of the Mustard Seed guesthouse in Ballingarry.
“I used to model and, having seen a random ad on Instagram, decided to apply for the beauty pageant Miss Ireland. Being awarded the title of Miss Limerick, I felt it was my duty to represent Limerick in a positive way.”
Alicia is 20-years-old and was the second youngest contestant in the 2023 Miss Ireland beauty pageant. She is a Ballingarry native and currently a student in Limerick College of Further Education (LCFE) and studies nursing.
Winners, such as Rosanna Davison, have went on to win the title of Miss World.
Alicia also has type 1 diabetes, and in running for Miss Limerick, became an advocate for raising awareness of the condition .
“I was diagnosed with diabetes at seven and had a lot of trouble growing up and getting through my teenage years with it, and still do.
“It affects my daily life, such as driving or work - it affects everything, really. I feel that type 1 diabetes is not really known about, nor are the symptoms, because when I first got diagnosed I thought it was a simple kidney infection.”
While all Miss Ireland contestants raised money for Cystic Fibrosis this year, Alicia did some of her own campaigning and has since been in touch with Diabetes Ireland.
“When my blood sugar levels are low, it’s like being drunk - I get dizzy, weak, flustered and confused and I start shaking.
“When I have high blood sugars, I vomit and go to the toilet non-stop. If driving and this happens, I have to pull in for a full 60 minutes to feel OK again.
“I wanted to talk about the stereotypes surrounding diabetes in my project with Miss Ireland, and make people aware of it.
“I’ve gotten feedback online that I helped some people with their diagnosis and it is great to think that I did that - I helped someone else to get on with their life.”
While self-confidence can be gained through the competition, an online persona can also be established and, if you’re lucky, some fun will be had too. So what is there to lose? Time to focus on other priorities in your life, it seems.
“I was driving to Dublin every morning, every second week. It took so much more time and effort than I had ever imagined.
“Judges for the final are there at rehearsals and workshops, watching us all closely.
“We wrote a 3,000-word essay on the subject ‘beauty with a purpose’ and what that statement means to you.
“It was a lot of work and because I am in college, I had to do that on top of other assignments - it was crazy.
“We also had a sports challenge another time, where a personal trainer came to meet us all and we did hardcore workouts, for three hours straight.”
This year’s Miss Ireland was won by a contestant who has competed for the title three years in-a-row, Jasmine Gerhardt from Dublin. There were 21 contestants in total, which Alicia says are now ‘close friends’.
“The competitiveness disappeared as soon as we got to know each other better.
“I think pageantry is made out to be a selfish and vain competition, and maybe that is the case in other countries, but us Irish girls only want the best for each other!”
When asked if she would compete in the future as Miss Limerick again, Alicia says: “While it has been life-changing and has opened gates for me in terms of opportunities, it is a lot of work and, in a way, I feel like I have done it now.
“Maybe, in a couple of years I will go for it again - when I have more experience and when my confidence grows with time and age.”