We’ve all seen the glitz and glamour at Miss Ireland.
The dazzling dresses, perfect smiles and stunning bodies, but this year Goss.ie went behind the scenes to see what it’s really like to star in a beauty pageant.
From fixing dress hems last minute, to perfecting fake tan, to frantically searching for their lost bikini, being a beauty queen isn’t as easy as it looks.
Getting ready: Makeup artists tended to the contestants all day | SORCHA CRILLY
Bored: The girls spent hours in hair and makeup | SORCHA CRILLY
We arrive at the Ballsbridge Hotel around 3 o’clock on Saturday.
Our photographer Sorcha Crilly is given access to all areas of the pageant. From the stage, to the dressing room, to the lavish ballroom.
The girls are hyper aware of their surroundings, remembering never to drop their act.
Every time our photographer tries to take a picture the girls change their frowns into smiles, but we caught some girls off guard.
It’s been a long day, or even week, for the 36 girls hoping to be crowned Miss Ireland.
Hectic: All 36 girls had to get ready in the same room | SORCHA CRILLY
Waiting: It was a long day for the beauty hopefuls | SORCHA CRILLY
It seems like all they are doing is getting their makeup done, hours are spent in the makeup chairs, and they still have to do their hair.
Curling tongs and rollers are everywhere, their dressing room is a picture picture of beauty chaos.
While the girls are excited to get on the stage later in the night, they seem quite bored as they get another layer of foundation, another pin in their hair.
Work: Each contestant wanted to look picture perfect | SORCHA CRILLY
Fake: From tan to hair extensions the girls had hundreds of accessories | SORCHA CRILLY
Everyone is on their mobile phones, and barely talking to each other.
If they are talking it’s a very basic conversation: “You look amazing hun”, “Love that dress on you” and more of that.
Each girl has beat hundreds of other girls to be where they are right now.
Long day: Each girl needed a hair dresser and stylist | SORCHA CRILLY
Makeup: The contestants spent hours perfecting their makeup | SORCHA CRILLY
Texting: All the girls were constantly on their phones | SORCHA CRILLY
But without their sashes and tiaras they just look like normal girls, nervous girls.
Most of the contestants walk around in pyjamas, large jumpers and no shoes.
Their lavish jewellery and expensive dresses are just lying around the empty bottles of lucozade.
Classy: A tiara was sitting on a table with drink bottles and crip bags | SORCHA CRILLY
Drinking: Some of the girls decided to have a drink before the show | SORCHA CRILLY
One contestant, Miss Dublin Central, even gets herself a glass of white wine.
“I just have to have a drink,” she says before returning back to her phone where she is texting friends.
But the mood starts to turn frantic when the girls realise there is only two hours to go until they are needed on stage.
Touch up: Miss Personality was still getting her hair done last minute | SORCHA CRILLY
Suddenly fashion stylist Robert Plant is being pulled from one side of the room to the other.
Fixing a dress, altering a sash, and even curling hair.
The bored period is well and truly over, now the game is on.
Outfits: The girls frantically looked for their accessories | SORCHA CRILLY
Dress up: Suddenly all the girls were looking for their dresses | SORCHA CRILLY
Disaster: The girls lost a bikini lost minute | SORCHA CRILLY
Disaster strikes when a contestant can’t find her bikini, suddenly the beauty chaos turns into a nightmare when no one can place the swimsuit.
The rollers have started to come out and Miss Ireland organisers enter the room to tell the contestants to “go mingle” with the guests in the hotel foyer.
At this point press, celebrities and models have arrived for the event, and the hotel which was only full of pageant hopefuls earlier are now full of friends and family.
Panic: It’s nearly show time | SORCHA CRILLY
The nerves definitely start to hit everyone.
While the 36 hopefuls are the main focus of the day, Miss Ireland 2013 has an emotional moment when she has to hand back her crown.
The Tipperary model looks sad as she places her crown back on the stand.
But of course in her typical beauty queen fashion, she wears a massive smile once the camera is on.
Saying goodbye: Aoife put her crown on the stage | SORCHA CRILLY
Soon it’s showtime. After enjoying a three course meal the audience are eager to get started, and the contestants are extremely nervous.
The reality of what is about to happen has just set in with the contestants, their legs are shaking, no one is talking, the mood is extremely tense.
Suddenly they are called out to the side of the ballroom, where the 36 girls are dressed in long black cloaks.
Nerves: The girls begin to line up for their stage debut | SORCHA CRILLY
In a dramatic move, each girl walks to the stage with the cloak covering their face and body, only to be revealed in front of guests live on stage.
Just before the girls are ready to walk in, this year’s winner Jessica Hayes turns to our photographer and poses for a picture.
It was as if us three just knew, in that moment, that Jessica was going to take the crown.
Beauty queen: Jessica Hayes posed for a photo right before walking on stage | SORCHA CRILLY
Put into pairs the girls begin to walk on stage, being unveiled every minute.
Suddenly every girl is on stage, and they pose like they were taught to on the main stage.
There’s no more time for nerves as the contestants begin the final leg of their Miss Ireland journey.
Winner: Jessica Hayes took the crown | BRIAN MCEVOY
All 36 girls look ready to take the spotlight, ready to strut the catwalk and ready to take the coveted title from Aoife Walsh.
But as the show begins organiser Brendan Scully says “only one girl can take the crown.”
