Miss Universe Ireland Cailín Áine Ní Tobín at the Miss Universe pageant in Las Vegas.
Grainne McGuinness
CAILÍN Áine Ní Toibín from Cobh made it through to the final round of Miss Universe in Las Vegas, making it to the last 16 out of 92 contestants.
The 23-year-old was one of only four European contestants to make it to the top 16, before Miss South Africa Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters was announced as the overall winner.
Her cousin, Fine Gael councillor Sinead Sheppard, stayed up to watch the pageant streamed live from the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino and said Cailín had enjoyed every minute of the experience.
“She’ll be ecstatic at how well she has done, to be in the final 16 is fantastic — and the final four from Europe,” Sinead told the Evening Echo.
Miss Ireland 2017 Cailin Aine Ni Toibin is named a top 16 finalist during the 2017 Miss Universe Pageant. Pic: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
She said her cousin had enjoyed huge support from the people of Cork, and Cobh in particular.
“I was at the switching on of the Christmas lights in Cobh and I couldn’t move for people wishing Cailín luck and asking how she was. I rang her and told her about all the well-wishers. People had posters up in the windows, wishing her luck.”
Cailín went to school at Coláiste an Phiarsaigh in Glanmire and is about to begin training on the Brown Thomas management training programme in Dublin.
She is passionate about the subject of mental health and hopes to be an advocate for the charity Pieta House.
“There isn’t enough talk about mental health in Ireland,” she told the Evening Echo. “I feel that it just really needs to be talked about and pushed forward in schools, so I hope I can go to schools and really push my platform.”
Ninety-two women from around the world took part in the competition. Grammy-Award winner Fergie performed her new song A Little Work while the contestants walked down the stage wearing evening gowns.
