A year of 'online bitchiness' comes to an end for Miss Ireland
While the Rose of Tralee has been grabbing all the headines recently, having been given a new lease of life by last year’s winner Maria Walsh, another beauty contest winner is also coming to the end of her reign. Current Miss Ireland Jessica Hayes will hand over her crown at the grand final of the competition in Dublin next Friday after a whirlwind year.
While beauty was obviously a key component in her success, Jessica, 21, also displayed determination and perseverance, taking the title on her second outing in the contest.
Having come in the top seven in the contest as Miss Cork in 2013, she entered again the following year as Miss Buck Whaley’s, securing the top spot in the national competition and a coveted place at Miss World.
“I was really shy and it was my friends who pushed me to do it. I was definitely more confident the second time around. Gaining more experience meant I felt much more comfortable on the stage. I really wanted to win and it was amazing when I did.” Jessica, from Frankfield in Cork, is overwhelmingly positive about her experience on the beauty contest circuit.
“Obviously, there can be bitchiness but I didn’t experience any. I have made lifelong friends from Miss Ireland and Miss World. I still talk to the friends I made at Miss World - every day we have a group chat. I shared a room with Miss Northern Ireland and Miss New Zealand and I got on really well with them. You are in a group with people who are in the same position and did the same thing to get there.
“There is no reason for you not to get along, there is no sense of competition. We were there for about six weeks and we were with each other every day. Miss Northern Ireland and Miss New Zealand made my time there, we spent the whole time laughing. I loved finding out about the different cultures and everyone was so interested in each other’s background and what their story was.”
However, while camaraderie and good vibes reigned in the competitive arena, it was a different story online, where Jessica was on the receiving end of abusive messages.
“As soon as I won [Miss Ireland] and the picture was put up — in fairness, it was a bad picture and I hated it — people were commenting, calling me the worst names ever. My friends were replying, standing up for me and I was like “why are you doing that?” because that’s what they want. My friends hadn’t thought of it like that. I’ve learned not to engage because they want to upset me. I wasn’t hurt by it because I had just won Miss Ireland which was an amazing thing and why would I be hurt by someone I didn’t even know that’s just behind a computer?”
While contests such as Miss Ireland and Miss World have come in for their fair share of criticism because of what many see as their outmoded idea of beauty, Jessica says she hopes moves such as last year’s elimination of the bikini round from Miss World will help change people’s minds.
“People think it’s just about one night on the stage, parading around in a bikini but that’s not the case. There are many different sections to the competition. I’m hoping that because they got rid of the bikini section that people might be less prejudiced towards the contest. I’ve had an amazing time and met great girls who are doing brilliant work.”
A big element of Jessica’s reign as Miss Ireland has been her work on behalf of charities, including CRY Ireland, which raises awareness of sudden cardiac death in young people.
“Anything I can do to help, I try to use the title,” she says. “I worked with Cope and the Guide Dogs Association before I became Miss Cork and I will continue working with charities.” Jessica, who spent two years studying business in Cork College of Commerce, now plans to concentrate on modelling and is dividing her time between Dublin and Cork.
“I want to make the most of it,” she says.
“Previous winners have gone on to great success so I’m really excited about where it will take me. I will probably use my business studies at some stage, perhaps marketing or management, which were my two favourite subjects, but I’m going to pursue full-time modelling for the next few years anyway.”
How does she think will she feel when she relinquishes her title on Friday week?
“I will be sad. I’ve known everyone involved in the competition since 2013 when I first competed. I’ve had the time of my life. The year has flown. I will never forget walking on to the stage at Miss World and seeing my family.”
Does she have any advice for this year’s contestants?
“Take it in your stride, don’t be nervous and enjoy every minute of it. For the girls who don’t get the crown, if you’re passionate about it, go back and try again like I did.”
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