Cork mum spends €10,000 to get daughter to pageant

An Irish mother has told how she’s broken the bank by splashing out €10,000 to send her daughter into an upcoming child beauty pageant.

Aisling Murphy, who turns nine today, is already a veteran pageant star, having competed in 17 competitions since the age of six.

However, her Cork-born mother, Stephanie, said her dream is to watch her daughter winning next month’s glitzy Universal Royalty event, which will be held in a secret Dublin venue.

Stephanie, 28, a mother of two who emigrated a couple of years ago to Australia, believes she has spent in the region of €50,000 in the past three years on pageants — a figure she readily admits is “ridiculous”.

And she revealed the cost of flights back to Ireland for the family, along with outfits, make-up, private pageant coaching, and further costs for Aisling to appear in a UK pageant early next month, will set her back at least €10,000.

She said both she and husband Ger have given up socialising to ensure they have enough cash to enter their daughter into beauty competitions, mainly throughout Australia.

On Saturday, Aisling will compete in two separate pageants in Sydney on the same day, including one being organised by Texas-based Universal Royalty — which is costing the couple a further €6,000.

The youngster has also been signed up to compete in two further Australian pageants in the next couple of weeks.

Speaking from her home in Townsville, Queensland, yesterday, Stephanie insisted neither she nor her husband, Ger, had any regrets about the fortune they have invested in their daughter.

She said: “It would mean the world to Aisling and me too, if she won at either of the Universal Royalty pageants in Sydney or Ireland, because this is the most advanced system in the world.

“When you win at Universal Royalty, then you are champ. So fingers and toes crossed for her, because she has worked so hard for this. She’s been practicing every day for this for months.”

Stephanie, whose son Cian, five, is also taking part in the Sydney pageant, said her ultimate goal is to see her daughter being crowned “Ultimate Grand Supreme” — the top gong for child beauty pageants.

However, she says that the rising starlet, who will be judged on talent routines like singing and dancing, together with “beauty” in six different heats, will face stiff competition.

She added: “It’ll be very tough. Aisling will be judged on her clothes, how she carries herself and her routines. Everything has to be perfect. The judges will be looking out for everything, for example if her shoes are slightly scratched, if her tan is blotchy or if she has too much make-up on.”

Yesterday, Universal Royal Beauty Pageant chiefs said they have received “huge interest” in their first-ever Ireland pageant on Sept 21.

Boss Annette Hill said she is considering a second show in Dublin, after receiving more than 100 applications for the event, which will include competitions for babies and toddlers.

The staging of the event has led to controversy amongst children’s watchdogs, who have expressed concern about the long-term effects on participating youngsters. They argue that innocent children are being exploited, sexualised, and encouraged to be competitive and obsessive about their appearances.

They have also warned that the pressure put on children to win by their pushy parents could lead to mental health problems in later life.