Holyoke Crowns Madelynne Kelleher As the 2018 Grand Colleen!
The results from the 2018 Colleen Contest are in, and Madelynne Kelleher is announced the 2018 Grand Colleen!
colleen 2018
On Saturday, February 17th, the five young women who were previously chosen at the Colleen contest held last month, attended the coronation ball, each filled with the hopes of being crowned Grand Colleen. Carly Costello, Kassidy Lawrence, Erin Hebert, Bridget Higgins and Madelynne Kelleher were escorted by their fathers, filled with excitement.
In order for the dream of each girl come true, the five finalists had to answer the question: How would you explain the parade weekend to someone who is not from the area?
Each of the finalists answered the question to the very best of their abilities and were all excited to share how much the weekend means to them. Having already been judged on poise, intelligence, personality, and appearance at the last competition, the judges were solely focused on how well the contestants answered the final question.
Madelynne Kelleher, of South Hadley, answered the question by expressing how exciting it is and how well Irish heritage is represented. Inspired by her answer the judges crowned her as the 2018 Grand Colleen!
“The people of the city love this weekend, the people of the surrounding cities love this weekend! It is really a great time to be together!” said Madelynne Kelleher.
Although the night was very exciting and joyful, sadness was also present. The 2017 Grand Colleen Maggie Walsh shared a speech expressing her gratitude for her journey that made her family proud, and how much being a part of the Colleen Contest meant to her.
“I can not even begin to describe the feeling that came over me when my name was called. I immediately looked over to my friends and family” said Maggie Walsh, “I want you to know I did this all for you, to honor our family, and honor our Irish heritage.
The coronation ball was a very nerve-racking day for the finalists and their families both this year and last, but by the end of the night, each family couldn’t be more proud of what their daughters had accomplished.
Grand Colleen Madelynne and her court have a very busy year headed their way!
