‘I owe all of my confidence to this festival - it's changed me so much as a person’

Ellie Ward, the 2025 Mary from Dungloe, has described the last 10 days as a “whirlwind.”

The 19-year-old was crowned when Clare O’Donnell, the 2024 winner, handed over the sash and tiara on Sunday night.

“The last week has been a whirlwind, I have had so many people coming up to me to get photos and I am just trying to take it all in,” reflecting on the festival, Ellie tells DonegalLive.

She is now happy to have a week of rest since the festival finished. “It's been chill, I have got to catch up with family and ring the girls I spent the week with,” she says. “I am going to miss that group of girls, they were so fabulous - hopefully they will be back in Dungloe to support me next year. 

The 15 ladies who were selected as Marys first met on a Failte Ireland tour a month before the festival began. Ellie says there were two highlights of the week, which were “both equal to each other.” The first was having all the girls in Dungloe and the second was visiting Dungloe Community Hospital.

Ellie is currently studying Health Science with Physiotherapy at ATU Letterkenny. She had completed a 10-week work placement during the festival selection process. “I went back the morning after I won with the sash, and it was a full circle moment being able to go back as the Dungloe Mary,” she adds. “That was a highlight; it grounded me again, remembering who I am, the people around me and how I got here. 

Ellie says she “always wanted to be a Mary” but was heavily inspired by the women she is surrounded by. Her aunt Aoife was the 2014 Kildare Mary, a close family friend, Marissa Berry represented Philadelphia in 2017, and her cousin Adele Morgan made history as the first Dubai Mary in 2023, later crowned the 2023 Mary from Dungloe. 

However, Ellie didn't put herself forward for the title; it was suggested by manager Keith Neary at work in the Bridge Inn that Ellie be Dungloe’s representative. This left her with 30 minutes to prepare before the interview - needless to say, there was only time for a hair and make-up. Having such a rushed introduction, it laid the foundation for Ellie to be her authentic self throughout. 

“Anything they asked me, the first thing I thought of was what I said - there were no heirs or graces - it was so raw and so real, and I think that's how I kept my interview throughout the week,” she says.

“I didn't overthink anything too much, I think that's how I came across so naturally, anything I said was how I actually felt. I just wanted to come across as relatable. 

At the crowning cabaret on August Bank Holiday Sunday, all participants were required to showcase their talents, and Ellie took to the stage and performed Dermot Kennedy’s ‘Let Me In’. 

READ NEXT: Mary from Dungloe Ellie Ward showcases talent by singing ‘Let Me In’

“I always knew I wanted to sing and I wanted it to be raw and emotional, as that was how the whole week was,” Ellie adds. “I knew I wanted to tie my talent back to Dungloe, so I think the song portrayed both the town and the pandemic of mental health issues that are happening there and in the surrounding areas.  

“I did it to the best of my ability, and I hope I made all of them beautiful souls and people that are affected by mental health issues proud, as that's exactly what I wanted to do. I didn’t feel shy  or nervous as I wasn’t doing it for myself, it was for Dungloe.”

Ellie said that having her old music teacher, Sara Laughlin, who taught her for the past seven years, brought comfort when on stage. That wasn’t Ellie’s only comfort, though, as her boyfriend, Dungloe-native Oisin McKelvey, was the escort. Having been together a year and a half, Ellie said the familiarity, rather than having to get to know somebody new, helped make the week easier and more enjoyable. 

“Your social battery is on the floor, with the number of people you have to meet and then I would have had to get to know another person as the escort, so I think having Oisin there really grounded me and kept me calm,” Ellie says. “If I had to get to know another person, it would have put me over the edge, so it was nice having him there.”

The Dungloe Mary will now have a busy year undertaking her commitments, such as community events and balls, but mainly the St Patrick’s Day trip to New York next March. 

As winner, she also received €3,000 travel vouchers, €1,000 cash, various hampers filled with goods, a crystal vase, a Gay Byrne tiara and a Mary From Dungloe necklace. 

READ NEXT: Ellie Ward is crowned as 2025 Mary From Dungloe

“It is such an amazing festival and I feel privileged to be part of it,” Ellie adds. “I am so grateful that I'm able to carry this on for another year. I don’t know what I would have done if my journey had ended on Sunday night; this has been my life for the past year. 

“All these girls, we have made such fabulous memories together, and to be able to carry it on with the memories I have with them, it's great. It is the most brilliant experience I have ever had; it has really brought me out of my shell, and I am a way more confident person because of it. That's my takeaway, I owe all of my confidence to this festival, it's changed me so much as a person, for the better.”