The Mary From Dungloe International Festival is an Irish music festival held annually, usually at the end of July in the small town of Dungloe, County Donegal. The festival is centred on a pageant to find out which contestant has the spirit of the festival, who is then crowned "Mary From Dungloe". The winner of the contest holds this title for a year and acts as an ambassador for the festival. 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. The festival has grown in popularity over the years and now regularly attracts tens of thousands of visitors to the area. The festival is inspired by the song "Mary from Dungloe" as the Rose of Tralee festival is by "The Rose of Tralee". In 2019, the festival celebrated its 52nd anniversary, with Roisin Maher from New York becoming Mary From Dungloe 2019.
Participating communities Many communities around the world with links to County Donegal have their own local contests to pick their community's "Mary" who subsequently is nominated to travel to Dungloe to compete in the Mary From Dungloe contest. Irish communities who have entered contestants include:
Traditional festival events There are a number of traditional events which are run every year as part of the festival. Here are just a few examples: {| class="wikitable" ! Event !! Traditional Location |- | Opening Ceremony || Main St. |- | Introduction of MFD Contestants || Main St. |- | Country Sunday || Main St. |- | Lá Gaelach || Main St. |- | Open Air Music || Main St. |- | Art Exhibition || Sharkey's Service Station / Ionad Teampaill Chróine |- | McGurk's Fun Fair || The Cope Car Park, Quay Road |- | Childrens Sports Day || CLG An Clochán Liath/Dungloe GAA Grounds |- | Men's Golf Open || Cruit Island Golf Club |- | Ladies Golf Open || Cruit Island Golf Club |- | Treasure Hunt || Main St. starting point |- | Annual 5K Road Race || Main St. & surrounds |- | Fly Fishing Competition || Dungloe Marina |- | Little Miss Mary Competition || Parochial Hall/ CDP na Rosann |- | Table Quiz || Maghery Community Centre/ Midway Bar & Restaurant |- | Junior Table Quiz || Ionad Teampall Cróine |- | Social Evening with the Marys || Various |- | Historic Tour of the Rosses || Departs Main St. |- | Walk the Rosses || Dungloe area, Leitir/Lettermacaward, Maghery, Rann na Feirste, Loch an Iúir, Burtonport |- | Interviewing of the MFD Contestants || Carrickfinn Airport / Rosses Community School |- | Bonny Baby Show || Parochial Hall |- | Daniel O'Donnell in Concert || Festival Dome |- | Carnival Parade || Main St. |- | Band Competition || Main St. |- | MFD Contest Final || Festival Dome / Ionad Spóirt na Rosann |- | Gala Ball || Waterfront Hotel |- | Closing Ceremony || Main St.
2026 Contestants The 2026 'Marys' for the festival were:
Katie McClafferty – Connacht Rhiana Wasson – Donegal Caoimhe Bermingham – Dublin Shauna McDonagh – Dungloe Cara Molloy – Edinburgh Jamie-Mai Nic Giolla Easbuic – Gaeltacht Maria Neely – Glasgow Maria Boner – Liverpool Eva O’Sullivan – London Clodagh Doughty – Midlands Nellie Fitzpatrick – New York Molly Russell – North East England Kylie Brogan – Philadelphia Katie Sweeney – Ulster Gracie Trimble – Wild Atlantic Way
Eva O'Sullivan, the London Mary, was crowned the 2026 Mary from Dungloe on 2 August 2025.
Contest winners Below is a complete list of contest winners from 1968 to 2024.
Year Winner Represented Originally From Age 1968 Celine Powell Dublin Galway 1969 Marie McGlinchey Donegal 1970 Monina Hughes Armagh 1971 Gloria O'Boyle Donegal Bunbeg, Gweedore 1972 Carole Mary Carr Limerick 1973 Nora Boyle Donegal Burndennet, County Tyrone 1974 Maribel Lopez Del Hoya Spain 1975 Maureen Temple Londonderry 1976 Anne Marie McDaid Derry 1977 Sheila T Boyle Bayonne 1978 Bernice McElroy Down Warrenpoint, County Down18 1979 Ann O'Callaghan Louth 1980 Marie Coyle Glasgow 1981 Noreen Galligan An Ghaeltacht 1982 Debbie O'Brien Manchester 17 1983 Máire McCole Dungloe 1984 Anne Marie Moloney New York Jackson Heights18 1985 Sheila Hughes Mayo 1986 Linda Farrell Louth 22 1987 Maria McGovern Dublin Dublin 1988 Maureen Connelly Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania New York 24 1989 Carmel Kelly Donegal Donegal 1990 Anne Marie Downes Louth 1991 Pamela Sheridan Meath 1992 Paula O'Reilly Monaghan 1993 Samantha Pairman North East England 1994 Sarah Mulholland Dungloe Kincasslagh 21 1995 Kathleen McMahon New York New York 20 1996 Siobhan Bignell Melbourne London, England 24 1997 Heather Stewart Edinburgh 1998 Brighid Williams Sydney 1999 Ciara Diver Derry Portstewart, County Londonderry 2000 Shirley McGlynn Manchester Dublin 21 2001 Fiona Mwaka Callan Wicklow Zambia / Arklow 19 2002 Jolene McMonagle An Ghealtacht Falcarragh 22 2003 Aisling Friel Glasgow Glasgow 21 2004 Lisa Mc Kelvey Dungloe Dungloe 20 2005 Katie Armstrong Philadelphia Philadelphia 25 2006 Jennifer Halton Kildare Kildare 22 2007 Kerry Sweeney Edinburgh Edinburgh 21 2008 Una Rooney Armagh Armagh 24 2009 Kate Ferguson Derry Derry 25 2010 Jemma Ferry Edinburgh Edinburgh 22 2011 Debbie Rodgers Dungloe Burtonport 21 2012 Meghan Davis Philadelphia Wilkes-Barre, PA 26 2013 Grace Sweeney Glasgow Glasgow 27 2014 Kate Linsay Sydney Sydney 19 2015 Siobhan Dunn Edinburgh Edinburgh 28 2016 Eva Ní Dhoibhlinn Gaeltacht Gweedore 20 2017 Alisha Medford Glasgow Glasgow 20 2018 Caroline O'Donnell Dungloe Leffin 25 2019–2022 Róisín Maher New York Carlow 27 2021 Virtual Mary Alannagh Nic Fhloinn Pleanáil Teanga (Gaeltacht) Sheskinarone 22 2022 Caitlin Finn London Ballybofey / London / Letterkenny 21 2023 Adele Morgan Dubai Glasgow 28 2024 Clare O’Donnell Donegal Letterkenny262025Ellie WardDungloeDungloe192026Eva O'SullivanLondonLondon21
Entertainers and musicians Many Irish and international acts have performed at the festival over the years. The traditional annual crowd puller, however, continues to be internationally renowned folk singer Daniel O'Donnell, who made his festival debut in 1985.
Daniel O'Donnell, Boyzone, Brian Kennedy, Donal Lunny, Altan, The Hothouse Flowers, Goats Don't Shave, Nathan Carter, Christy Moore, The Sawdoctors, Paul Brady, Shane McGowan. Barry Sinclair, Jimmy Buckley, Hugo Duncan, Mad Dog Macrea, Louise DaCosta, Riverdance, Jake Carter and many more.
Famous comperes The Mary From Dungloe contest final has been compered by a number of famous faces. Gay Byrne Daniel O'Donnell Marty Whelan Pat Kenny Thelma Mansfield Gerry Kelly Noel Cunningham Dave O'Connor
References
External links
Linda Farrell Is Mary From Dungloe, 1986 episode of Faces and Places from the RTÉ Television archives https://www.donegallive.ie/news/donegal-life/874310/winner-of-the-2022-mary-from-dungloe-international-arts-festival-is-chosen.html https://www.donegaldaily.com/2022/08/01/london-mary-caitlin-is-the-2022-mary-from-dungloe/ https://www.donegallive.ie/news/west-donegal/874370/gallery-2022-mary-from-dungloe-winner-london-mary-caitlin-finn.html