By David Hennessy
Mairead McEnroe, a 23- year- old teaching assistant, is the Glasgow Mary from Dungloe for 2024.
She will go on to represent Glasgow at the festival which starts this month.
Mairead told The Irish World: “I’m excited for the whole thing.”
“I’m really looking forward to it.
“Since I was a baby it’s been my dream.
“I looked up to the Marys as Princesses.
“I’ve honestly been over to the festival every single year so it’s just been a real privilege to be the Glasgow Mary.”
Asked what it was like to be announced as Glasgow Mary at the recent selection night Mairead says: “Honestly I just have no words for it.
“It was just a whirlwind.
“I was like, ‘Why not go in for it and see what happens? If I get it, fair dues but if I don’t, good on the girl that got it’.
“But when I got crowned, it was the best day.
“I was shocked, I was really shocked but I was just ecstatic when I actually got the Glasgow Mary.”
Mairead has strong ties to Donegal with grandparents that came from Tully/Craugheyboyle and Ardcrone.
“They both emigrated over here.
“My nan was also one of the 13 as well so it’s a big family.
“It’s like a home away from home.”
Mairead’s Donegal grandfather has been dead for 16 years.
“He’ll be watching me from above but my nana will be there. She’s said that there’s no way on earth that she’s not going to be going to the crowning cabaret.
“She’ll be the first one there at the doors probably.”
Mairead has a lot of other family in Donegal supporting her.
“They’re all getting behind me. Honestly the amount of messages that I’ve had from my cousins, ‘I’ll be there to see you’.
“It’s been fab.
“I’ll have lots of uncles and aunties and cousins there. Dungloe will be full of my relatives.”
Irish culture has always been important to Mairead who grew up both Irish dancing and playing the fiddle.
“I started off Irish dancing.
“I went to Caroline Green for maybe about five or six years and then I just ended up getting a love for the music while I was Irish dancing and thought music was more my forte.
“I went up to Southside Fiddlers and also attended St Rochs CCE so I went all over Britain for their Fleadhs.”
Mairead will play a bit of fiddle when she is onstage with Daniel O’Donnell.
“I’m going to be playing the fiddle on stage as well. That’s going to be my wee party piece.”
“I also helped out with the Conradh na Gaeilge summer camps which was really fun.
“It’s fun and the kids come out of it learning Irish.”
Mairead has also taught fiddle for beginners.
She also teaches in her work as she is a teaching assistant helping children with additional support needs.
“It is really rewarding.
“I think I want to be a teacher one day but for now I’m happy enough supporting the kids because I see the kids are getting a greater bond with me so it’s really rewarding like that.”
Marys will come from all over Ireland, the UK and as far away as America and the Middle East hoping to be crowned Mary from Dungloe 2024.
“The other Marys have been so fab.
“We’re all in the same boat which we realise and we obviously haven’t done this before so we’re all getting together and it’s so good having that support network even though we’ve never met each other.
“I think the main thing (about the festival) will be meeting each other.
“We’ll be friends for life as well.
“It’s just going to be an amazing experience meeting new people and seeing how their backgounds are and their connections from Ireland as well.
“We’re all looking forward to it.
“Every year seeing them on the floats going up and down Main Street in Dungloe just thinking, ‘One day I wish I would be on that’.
“And here the day’s come, not so far away now.”
What would it mean to the Mary from Dungloe? “Honestly that would mean so much.
“I just even can’t put it into words how much that would mean if I was lucky enough to get crowned.”
The Mary from Dungloe festival takes place 27 July- 5 August.
