A €150,000 award was made yesterday to a girl who was injured when a car crashed into her as she walked to school.

She’s swapped her elegant silk-and-chiffon gown for a pair of boxing gloves and the brutal sweat of the ring — but Rose of Tralee contestant Edel Buckley hasn’t looked back since her training began.

The Rose of Tralee is often criticised by its detractors for failing to represent modern Ireland.