Sophie to represent Kildare in Miss Ireland bid

A WISH to raise awareness of how mental health issues can impact young girls during vulnerable teen years is the reason a young Kildare woman has worked to reach the final stages of the Miss Ireland 2025 competition.

Sophie Murphy, 23, works in healthcare as a clinical support specialist in the medical devices area, and is seeking sponsorship to complete her campaign for the title.

Originally from Newbridge, Sophie's family moved to Kilcullen about 14 years ago.

In a way it was a reconnection, as her grandfather Kevin Doyle was born and raised in Logstown on Kilcullen's Naas Road end.

She has a strong interest in sport, and played football with Sarsfields in Newbridge for many years, where her father had also been a player.

"But these days rugby has taken over, and I play with Newbridge Rugby Club in Rosetown,” she said.

The Miss Ireland competition, established in 1947 and one of the world's longest-running beauty pageants, provided a number of women role models — including Rosanna Davison — to whom Sophie was drawn when she was herself working through Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Depersonalisation Disorder (DPD) as a teenager.

Should she win the title, she will use her position to raise awareness of these and provide support for young people facing similar challenges.

"Like most young girls growing up I constantly looked for women I admired," she said.

"Some of them were previously crowned Miss Ireland. I found that this helped remind me of the person I aspired to be, and guided me through difficult stages where I had lost sight of that person."

Sophie describes her issues with DPD as spending a lot of time “overthinking stuff in your brain”.

"It's like not recognising yourself in a mirror and feeling that you're living in a dream and nothing feels real. It's extremely uncomfortable, and when I first experienced it when I was about 16, it put me in a very bad head-space."

She said it definitely impacted her youth, and took her a long while to realise that the answer was to stop fearing it.

"If you confront the feeling, it's almost like dealing with a bully, it loses its power. While I'm still no master of my mind, doing that definitely helped me to get to the place I am today."

Her issues with OCD have also become less of a concern.

"Though there are small things — like when I'm going to bed I have to have my pillows organised a certain way next to my bed and small things like that."

A trip to Kenya in February of 2017 with friends in her TY class in Cross and Passion College, Kilcullen also gave her a different viewpoint.

It was to the Cara Girls Rescue Centre near Ngong, outside Nairobi, founded in 2002 by Ballysax man Paddy O'Connor to provide a safe place for vulnerable children.

The trip was a thought-provoking introduction to a different country and culture.

"It profoundly impacted my perspective on life and helping others. I see taking part in Miss Ireland as an opportunity to amplify my efforts in helping those less fortunate and those in need."

Sophie is competing in the Beauty with a Cause category of the competition, which she is dedicating to OCD Ireland and the Children's Health Foundation. Between now and the final outcome in March there will be a number of presentations for fashion, talent — "I hope to sing for that" — and interviews. Sophie's own interest in fashion and beauty has led some modelling work, and she attributes her fashion interest to her mother's enthusiasm for clothing and style.

The required sponsorship package totals €1,500 which will help to cover tutorials, workshops, photoshoots and the final event, which takes place in March 2025.

Her GoFundMe page is ‘Sophie’s Journey to Miss Ireland’, and any excess contributions that Sophie receives will be donated to The Children’s Health Foundation.