Pageant pride as aunt and niece take top titles!
THERE was double delight for an aunt and niece from Banbridge, after they won top titles in a recent pageant.
Rachel Mulligan (25) and Lucy McCandless (12) competed in the Diamond Ireland & EU heat at the Balmoral Hotel in Dunmurry on February 24.
Rachel walked away with the ‘Miss’ title, while Lucy was crowned winner in the ‘Teen’ category.
The kind-hearted pair also shared the Charity Queen title, having jointly raised the most money from all the contestants - a fabulous £300!
Their chosen charity was Young Minds - a cause which they will be continuing to collect for in the coming months.
As a result of their success, they have qualified for the Diamond & EU National Final which takes place in Wigan from August 29-31.
Rachel and Lucy are hoping they can progress to the Regency Internationals, which take place in Orlando, Florida.
Rachel works as a team leader in a scheme for people with learning disabilities, while Lucy is a student at Banbridge High School.