Married mum of seven aims to prove big is beautiful at Mrs Ireland pageant

A 41-year-old married mum of seven, who is size 18, will represent Galway at two national beauty pageants.

“Curves are beautiful,” declared Ahascragh-based plus-sized model Sharon Dooley, who is representing Galway at the Mrs Ireland and Miss Curves Ireland competitions in Dublin on October 15.

Similar to Miss Ireland, Mrs Ireland is open to women who are married, and Miss Curves Ireland is for women who are a size twelve or over.

Mrs Dooley, who is married to Henry Dooley from Fohenagh, was crowned Mrs Galway and Miss Curves Galway by competition judges earlier this month.

The negative portrayal of plus-size women in media, spurred her on to enter the competition.

Curvaceous Sharon says, despite her size, she is as an active and fit woman – in April she even completed a triathlon raising funds for Irish Heart Foundation.

“I won’t lie – it was difficult but it was a New Year’s resolution and I always keep them. I was determined. I am active, I am healthy. I wanted to challenge this notion that because I’m a plus size that I’m sitting around on the couch eating cake all day. The models in media every day are stick-thin. If I win Mrs Ireland it will show that you don’t have to be thin to be beautiful,” she said.

This is the inaugural year of the Miss Curves Ireland competition, and the Mrs Ireland completion is five years on the go.

Sharon agrees her age (41), and dress size (18) mark her out as unique in the Mrs Ireland competition; and being married might also be considered unusual in the Miss Curves competition.

“Every year so far in Mrs Ireland, the participants are stick-thin women. I wanted to enter to prove that you can be beautiful and a plus size. You don’t have to be skinny to be beautiful. Everyone is beautiful. You can be beautiful and thin. But curves are beautiful, too. Miss Curves is for anyone over size twelve. This helps girls and women feel more accepted around fashion and beauty trends. I entered Miss Curves Ireland because I see this as promoting women with curves as being healthy, as well as beautiful,” she said.

And she has the full backing of Henry and her seven children Mercedes (22), James (21), Oisín (12), Clodagh (10), Liam (9), Eva (7) and Amber (4).

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.