Photos: Pamela Uba, An African wins Miss Ireland, the first black woman to be crowned in 74 years!

From Africa with love!

A frontline worker has become the first black woman to be crowned Miss Ireland in the competition's 74-year history. 

Medical scientist and part-time model Pamela Uba, from Galway, came to Ireland as an asylum seeker from Johannesburg, in South Africa, when she was aged just seven. 

The eldest of six siblings, she grew up in direct provision - a system of asylum seeker accommodation used in Ireland - and is now a 'very proud' Irish citizen. She was crowned the winner of the beauty pageant - which has been running since 1947 - in an outdoor ceremony in Cavan on Sunday night, reported The Irish Times. 

But sadly, she has already been trolled over her historic win and took to her Instagram stories yesterday to hit back at 'hurt people trying to hurt people' - after admitting: 'It's sad to say I did expect this type of behaviour'. Speaking about her win, she said: 'It means so much to me. I am so grateful I can show girls that colour is not something that holds you back and it doesn't matter where you come from, the world is your oyster.' 

Pamela worked on the frontline during the pandemic at Galway University Hospital, observing the inflammatory process in Covid-19 patients to determine how serious the infection was for each person.

She's pretty! 

Congratulations to her, South Africa and Ireland!!