PITTSBURGH — Ahead of Pittsburgh’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade Saturday, Hannah O’Donoghue has been crowned Miss Smiling Irish Eyes 2015.
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O’Donoghue, of Cranberry Township, was crowned Friday by Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. The tradition dates back to the late 1960s.
“The crowning of Miss Smiling Irish Eyes has become just as much a part of the holiday as the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and the celebrations that last throughout the day,” said Fitzgerald.
O’Donoghue is a Seneca Valley High School graduate and sophomore at Slippery Rock University, where she is an active member of the campus community. She has also been an Irish step dancer at the Bell School of Dance.
Miss Smiling Irish Eyes’ court maidens are Kelsey Reiser, of Pittsburgh’s Brookline neighborhood, and Hannah O’Toole, of Dormont.
“Hannah, Kelsey, and Hannah are engaged and involved in their community, have earned academic honors and actively promote their Irish heritage. They are strong examples of the positive young people who call Pittsburgh, Allegheny County and this region home,” said Fitzgerald.
The duties of Miss Smiling Irish Eyes include participation in ceremonial functions leading up to and including the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.