# Mary from Dungloe (festival)

The Mary From Dungloe International Festival is a popular Irish music festival held annually, usually at the end of July in the small town of Dungloe, County Donegal. The festival is centred on a pageant to find out which contestant has the spirit of the festival, who is then crowned "Mary From Dungloe". The winner of the contest holds this title for a year and acts as an ambassador for the festival. Irish emigrant communities from around the world, as well as some Irish counties and towns, participate by nominating a young woman, endearingly titled a "Mary", to represent their community at the contest. The festival has grown in popularity over the years and now regularly attracts tens of thousands of visitors to the area. The festival is inspired by the song "Mary from Dungloe" as the Rose of Tralee festival is by "The Rose of Tralee". In 2019, the festival celebrated its 52nd anniversary, with Roisin Maher from New York becoming Mary From Dungloe 2019.

## Participating communities

Many communities around the world with links to County Donegal have their own local contests to pick their community's "Mary" who subsequently is nominated to travel to Dungloe to compete in the Mary From Dungloe contest. Irish communities who have entered contestants include:
* Antrim
* Armagh
* Bayonne, New Jersey
* Belfast
* Birmingham
* Cavan
* Chicago
* Cork
* Kildare
* Derry
* Donegal
* Down
* Dubai
* Dungloe
* Dublin
* Edinburgh
* Fermanagh
* France
* An Ghaeltacht
* Galway
* Glasgow
* India
* Limerick
* London
* Louth
* Manchester
* Mayo
* Meath
* Melbourne
* Miami
* Midlands (UK)
* Monaghan
* North East England
* Tipperary
* New York
* Washington DC
* Philadelphia
* Roscommon
* San Francisco
* Spain
* Sydney
* Tyrone
* Waterford
* Wicklow
* Wild Atlantic Way
* Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

## Traditional festival events

There are a number of traditional events which are run every year as part of the festival. Here are just a few examples:
    EventTraditional Location Opening CeremonyMain St. Introduction of MFD ContestantsMain St. Country SundayMain St. Lá GaelachMain St. Open Air MusicMain St. Art ExhibitionSharkey's Service Station / Ionad Teampaill Chróine McGurk's Fun FairThe Cope Car Park, Quay Road Childrens Sports DayCLG An Clochán Liath/Dungloe GAA Grounds Men's Golf OpenCruit Island Golf Club Ladies Golf OpenCruit Island Golf Club Treasure HuntMain St. starting point Annual 5K Road RaceMain St. & surrounds Fly Fishing CompetitionDungloe Marina Little Miss Mary CompetitionParochial Hall/ CDP na Rosann Table QuizMaghery Community Centre/ Midway Bar & Restaurant Junior Table QuizIonad Teampall Cróine Social Evening with the MarysVarious Historic Tour of the RossesDeparts Main St. Walk the RossesDungloe area, Leitir/Lettermacaward, Maghery, Rann na Feirste, Loch an Iúir, Burtonport Interviewing of the MFD ContestantsCarrickfinn Airport / Rosses Community School Bonny Baby ShowParochial Hall Daniel O'Donnell in ConcertFestival Dome Carnival ParadeMain St. Band CompetitionMain St. MFD Contest FinalFestival Dome / Ionad Spóirt na Rosann Gala BallWaterfront Hotel Closing CeremonyMain St.

## 2024 Contestants

The 2024 'Marys' for the festival were as follows:
* Niamh Kerrigan – Birmingham
* Orla Sheridan – Cavan
* Clare O’Donnell – Donegal
* Gemma Doherty – United Arab Emirates (Dubai)
* Molly Part – Dublin
* Áine McGee – Dungloe
* Kaylin Healy – Edinburgh
* Leah Ní Dháibhéid – Gaeltacht
* Mairead McEnroe – Glasgow
* Kyna Boyle – London
* Caitlin Therese Ward – New York
* Scarlett Catalfamo – Philadelphia
* Marina Boyle – Wicklow
* Molly Gallagher – Wild Atlantic Way
The Donegal Mary, Clare O’Donnell, was crowned the 2024 Mary from Dungloe at the crowning cabaret on 4 August.

## Contest winners

Below is a complete list of contest winners from 1968 to 2023.
| Year | Winner | Represented | Originally From | Age |
| 1968 | Celine Powell | Dublin | Galway | |
| 1969 | Marie McGlinchey | Donegal | | |
| 1970 | Monina Hughes | Armagh | | |
| 1971 | Gloria O'Boyle | Donegal | Bunbeg, Gweedore | |
| 1972 | Carole Mary Carr | Limerick | | |
| 1973 | Nora Boyle | Donegal | Burndennet, County Tyrone | |
| 1974 | Maribel Lopez Del Hoya | Spain | | |
| 1975 | Maureen Temple | Londonderry | | |
| 1976 | Anne Marie McDaid | Derry | | |
| 1977 | Sheila T Boyle | Bayonne | | |
| 1978 | Bernice McElroy | Down | Warrenpoint, County Down | 18 |
| 1979 | Ann O'Callaghan | Louth | | |
| 1980 | Marie Coyle | Glasgow | | |
| 1981 | Noreen Galligan | An Ghaeltacht | | |
| 1982 | Debbie O'Brien | Manchester | | 17 |
| 1983 | Máire McCole | Dungloe | | |
| 1984 | Anne Marie Moloney | New York | Jackson Heights | 18 |
| 1985 | Sheila Hughes | Mayo | | |
| 1986 | Linda Farrell | Louth | | 22 |
| 1987 | Maria McGovern | Dublin | Dublin | |
| 1988 | Maureen Connelly | Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania | New York | 24 |
| 1989 | Carmel Kelly | Donegal | Donegal | |
| 1990 | Anne Marie Downes | Louth | | |
| 1991 | Pamela Sheridan | Meath | | |
| 1992 | Paula O'Reilly | Monaghan | | |
| 1993 | Samantha Pairman | North East England | | |
| 1994 | Sarah Mulholland | Dungloe | Kincasslagh | 21 |
| 1995 | Kathleen McMahon | New York | New York | 20 |
| 1996 | Siobhan Bignell | Melbourne | London, England | 24 |
| 1997 | Heather Stewart | Edinburgh | | |
| 1998 | Brighid Williams | Sydney | | |
| 1999 | Ciara Diver | Derry | Portstewart, County Londonderry | |
| 2000 | Shirley McGlynn | Manchester | Dublin | 21 |
| 2001 | Fiona Callan | Wicklow | Wicklow | 19 |
| 2002 | Jolene McMonagle | An Ghealtacht | Falcarragh | 22 |
| 2003 | Aisling Friel | Glasgow | Glasgow | 21 |
| 2004 | Lisa Mc Kelvey | Dungloe | Dungloe | 20 |
| 2005 | Katie Armstrong | Philadelphia | Philadelphia | 25 |
| 2006 | Jennifer Halton | Kildare | Kildare | 22 |
| 2007 | Kerry Sweeney | Edinburgh | Edinburgh | 21 |
| 2008 | Una Rooney | Armagh | Armagh | 24 |
| 2009 | Kate Ferguson | Derry | Derry | 25 |
| 2010 | Jemma Ferry | Edinburgh | Edinburgh | 22 |
| 2011 | Debbie Rodgers | Dungloe | Burtonport | 21 |
| 2012 | Meghan Davis | Philadelphia | Wilkes-Barre, PA | 26 |
| 2013 | Grace Sweeney | Glasgow | Glasgow | 27 |
| 2014 | Kate Linsay | Sydney | Sydney | 19 |
| 2015 | Siobhan Dunn | Edinburgh | Edinburgh | 28 |
| 2016 | Eva Ní Dhoibhlinn | Gaeltacht | Gweedore | 20 |
| 2017 | Alisha Medford | Glasgow | Glasgow | 20 |
| 2018 | Caroline O'Donnell | Dungloe | Leffin | 25 |
| 2019–2022 | Róisín Maher | New York | Carlow | 27 |
| 2021 Virtual Mary | Alannagh Nic Fhloinn | Pleanáil Teanga (Gaeltacht) | Sheskinarone | 22 |
| 2022 | Caitlin Finn | London | Ballybofey London Letterkenny | 21 |
| 2023 | Adele Morgan | Dubai | Glasgow | 28 |
| 2024 | Clare O’Donnell | Donegal | Letterkenny | 26 |

## Entertainers and musicians

Many Irish and international acts have performed at the festival over the years. The traditional annual crowd puller, however, continues to be internationally renowned folk singer Daniel O'Donnell, who made his festival debut in 1985.
* Daniel O'Donnell, Boyzone, Brian Kennedy, Donal Lunny, Altan, The Hothouse Flowers, Goats Don't Shave, Nathan Carter, Christy Moore, The Sawdoctors, Paul Brady, Shane McGowan.
* Barry Sinclair, Jimmy Buckley, Hugo Duncan, Mad Dog Macrea, Louise DaCosta, Riverdance, Jake Carter and many more.

## Famous comperes

The Mary From Dungloe contest final has been compered by a number of famous faces.
* Gay Byrne
* Daniel O'Donnell
* Marty Whelan
* Pat Kenny
* Thelma Mansfield
* Gerry Kelly
* Noel Cunningham
* Dave O'Connor