Donegal‑born Leia Doherty to compete as Miss Derry in Miss Ireland final

Twenty‑year‑old Leia Doherty, who has strong family ties to Donegal, will represent Derry in the Miss Ireland finals later this month.

Doherty is the daughter of Colleen Doherty of Buncrana and the granddaughter of the late Roisin Doherty and Jamesie Quirke. Her boyfriend, Brandon Doherty, is also from Buncrana, and his mother, Geraldine, encouraged Leia to enter the competition.

Although she had not entered a pageant before turning 18, Doherty applied after seeing the opportunity on Instagram. She was subsequently selected as Miss Derry and will join the other finalists at the Miss Ireland 2026 final in Dundalk on Saturday, 21 November.

A Performing Arts student at North West Regional College, Doherty is a member of Inish Theatre Group and hopes her stage experience will aid her at the national contest. She also organised an Open Mic Night at The Rocking Chair Bar in Derry to raise funds for a mental‑health charity she supports.

The public can vote for a semi‑finalist on the night of the grand final via the Miss Ireland Instagram page.

Source: Donegal Daily. Photo: cottonbro studio / Pexels.