'So proud' - Irish construction worker wins Miss Galaxy

An Irish woman, Rachel Foley, has become the first Irish woman to win the Miss Galaxy International title. Foley, a 26-year-old construction worker, traveled from her hometown of Wicklow to the Bahamas to represent Ireland in the finals. She is also the first to take home the Miss Galaxy title since Rosanna Davison won Miss World in 2003.

Foley described her emotions upon winning, saying that it was a moment she will never forget to represent Ireland on the international stage and to hear Ireland, the Emerald Isle, announced as the winner.

Foley got involved in pageantry after always being drawn to male stereotypical hobbies like construction and cars. She sees her platform as focused on encouraging women working in traditionally male-dominated industries. Before pageantry, Foley worked as a Health and Safety Officer in the construction industry, a life she describes as a mixture of hard hat and high heels.

She wants to break down barriers for women in male-dominated industries, showing that women can wear their hard hats and high-vis vests to work and then compete on an international stage in gowns.