The annual competition, held at The Royal in Luxembourg City, selects one candidate from the Grand Duchy to send as an ambassador to the Rose of Tralee competition in Ireland.
But while competition was tougher than ever, this year’s title went to 22-year-old student Clare McGing.

Being Irish in Luxembourg

Clare, who was born and raised in Luxembourg and studied at the European School, won with her account of coming to terms with her nationality as an Irish person growing up in Luxembourg. Now studying at Trinity University, Dublin, she told the audience: “People always question where you are from. I’d tell them that I’m Irish but from Luxembourg. I think they found it confusing. In the end I enjoyed the fact that I was different. Once I stopped trying to make myself born and bred Irish and accepted that Irish was something else.”

Clare lost her mother to cancer in January and her family is planning to leave Luxembourg so the win was a fitting way to say goodbye to the place she grew up. She was delighted with the surprise and told News 352: “I can’t believe it. It hasn’t sunk in yet. I’m still in shock.”
The student will now spend ten days in Ireland as part of the Rose of Tralee festivities.

This will be the ninth year that Luxembourg has sent a candidate to the festival. The Rose of Tralee is a competition dating back 50 years. It was originally established for young girls in Tralee to find their “true loves”. Eventually, it was opened to girls from all over Ireland.
Luxembourg Rose of Tralee President Deirdre Ecock explained: “With migration, the competition then spread outside of Ireland to America, Europe and here in Luxembourg. It’s now one of the biggest festivals in Ireland every year.”

Not a beauty pageant

The event is not designed to be a beauty pageant but a “celebration of Irishness”. Judges mark each of the five candidates on a presentation given at the annual formal dinner.
There is also the option to perform an act, either a dance or song at the dinner.
This year’s candidates included Natasha Sturdy, Claire Fitzpatrick, Norma O’Sullivan and Aisling McInerney.