Ireland's Next 'Tipp' Model
Gorgeous Aisling crowned Miss Sunday World
BY NIAMH BYRNE (PICS: ERNIE LESLIE)
MEET OUR Tipp for the top in the beauty world. Gorgeous Tipperary lass Aisling Bourke is our new Miss Sunday World after scooping the title at a glitzy bash on Thursday.
The 20-year-old beauty and massage therapist from Borrisoleigh pipped eight other beauties for the award - then celebrated by dancing all night with her proud dad.
Armed with a curling tongs and makeup brushes, our nine finalists for the Miss Sunday World competition battled it out for the coveted title on Thursday night.
It was a tough decision but in the end blonde stunner Aisling was a clear winner.
There wasn't a dry eye in the house as our 2008 beauty queen Niamh Walsh handed over her crown.
Glamorous
Aisling will now represent Ireland's biggest-selling newspaper and our one million readers at the Miss Ireland final this summer with a chance of going on to be Miss World.
Posing for pictures at the glamorous bash in Dublin's celeb hang-out Samsara, the 20- year-old stunner was shaking with disbelief and excitement.
"I woke up today and I couldn't believe I'm Miss Sunday World," said Aisling the day after the beauty pageant.
"I'm really looking forward to the year ahead of me, I want to live up to what Niamh did last year, she really set the bar high.
"I want to get involved in charity like she
did, Niamh did great work raising money
for cystic fibrosis.
"My best friend Lisa Nolan's mother has breast cancer so it is a charity that is very close to my heart.
"We both do fundraising fashion shows to raise money for breast cancer, and I look forward to organising more fundraising events throughout the year."
As the beautiful blonde accepted her crown, dad Richard looked on with tears in his eyes.
"I'm as proud as punch, I can hardly speak, I've a lump in my throat," he said.
"I knew she would win it. She's a beautiful girl but she is not vain at all. If she is out on the street and somebody whistles at her, she will be looking around to see who they are whistling at."
"My dad was so happy for me we were dancing all night in Renards," said Aisling.
The judging panel included our own former Miss Ireland Amanda Brunker, fashion photographer Lili Foreberg and RTE 'How Low Can You Go' star Baz Ashmawy.
Sexy Aisling wowed the judges not only with her model looks and her perfect bikini body during the catwalk section of the competition but also with her quick wit when being grilled by former Miss Ireland Amanda Brunker.
Stunning
Asked what feature of her body she would change the stunner said: "My eyes, I'm so blind I could qualify for a guide dog. I hate my glasses I only wear them at home and I'm saving up for a laser surgery."
Having bagged the €1,000 cash prize and a new wardrobe of dresses from Heart and Soul, Aisling is now set to compete with over 30 beauty queens in the Miss Ireland final. She also won five stunning dresses from dresses.ie who will also dress her for the Miss Ireland final.
In second place was Elizabeth Ryan (22) from Saggart, Co. Dublin, a fashion buyer for Brown Thomas. And in third place was April Fitzgibon, a 19-year-old model from Charleville, Co. Cork. The runners-up included Cara Dinnegan (18) from Mullingar, Lisa Nolan (19) from Lucan, Co. Dublin, Jean-Louse Dillon (23) from Enfield, Co. Meath, Christina Louise McLean (23) from Belfast, Kerrie Nicole Blanc (18) from Celbridge, Co. Kildare, and Niamh Fitzsimons (20) from Newtown Mount Kennedy, Co.Wicklow.
The Miss Sunday World event took place in the trendy city centre café bar Samsara. Contact Samsara, La Stampa Hotel & Spa, 35 Dawson Street, Dublin, D2, Ireland. Tel: (01) 677 4444.