County Donegal. Monroe-Woodbury graduate to represent New York in 2022 Irish festival

Saoirse Moloney-Stevenson, 29, a 2010 Monroe-Woodbury graduate, has been chosen to represent New York State in the Mary From Dungloe International Arts Festival.

Since 1967 the festival has been a worldwide celebration of Irish heritage.

In July 2022 she will travel to County Donegal in Ireland to participate in the festival with other “Marys” from across the globe.

She currently works as the Food Quality Coordinator at The Center for Discovery in Sullivan County. She hopes to use this opportunity to inspire community service and promote small businesses.

Her grandparents Eileen and Mike Moloney both immigrated to New York from Ireland (County Galway and County Offaly) as young adults.

Moloney-Stevenson is very proud of her Irish heritage and honored to be a part of such a wonderful festival.

About the festival

According to its website, The Mary From Dungloe International Arts Festival has been held annually since 1967, usually at the end of July in the town of Dungloe, County Donegal. The festival is centered around a competition to find out which contestant has the spirit of the festival, who is then crowned “Mary From Dungloe.”

The winner of the contest holds the title for a year and acts as an ambassador for the festival and for Dungloe. Irish emigrant communities from around the world, as well as some Irish counties and towns, participate by nominating a young woman, endearingly titled a “Mary,” to represent their community at the contest.