Third time lucky for Chicago Rose Maggie McEldowney

It was a case of third time lucky for the newly crowned Rose of Tralee Maggie McEldowney, and she wasn’t going to let anything derail her moment in the sun.

Admitting that this was her third time entering the competition, she deftly handled questions about the views of the Sydney Rose, who said she hoped there would be a referendum on the Eighth Amendment, by saying her Catholic education has moulded her into who she is and that she has no view on the comments.

“Education and Catholic faith [are very dear to me]. I think Catholic education really moulded me into who I am today and I’m very passionate about raising awareness for Catholic education,” she told the Irish Examiner yesterday.