Fionnghuala O'Reilly

Fionnghuala "Fig" O'Reilly (born 20 August 1993) is an Irish-American model and beauty pageant titleholder. In 2019 she was crowned Miss Universe Ireland. She made history as the first woman of color and Black woman to represent Ireland at the international Miss Universe competition.[1][2]

Fionnghuala O'Reilly
O'Reilly at Miss Universe Ireland 2019
Born (1993-08-20) 20 August 1993
Fort Knox, Kentucky, U.S.
Occupation(s)Model, beauty pageant titleholder
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Beauty pageant titleholder
TitleMiss Universe Ireland 2019
Major
competition(s)		Miss Universe Ireland 2019
(Winner)
Miss Universe 2019
(Unplaced)
Websitefigoreilly.com

In 2020, Fionnghuala joined Miranda Cosgrove on CBS's Daytime Emmy-nominated television series Mission Unstoppable as the newest correspondent.[3] Fionnghuala also joined the cast of HBO Max Best Documentary nominated film Twenty Pearls directed by Deborah Riley Draper.[4]

Life and career

Early life

Fionnghuala, who often goes by "Fig," was born to an Irish father and African American mother.[5] O'Reilly signed her first model contract at 19 with an agency in Milan, Italy. She has a Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., which she has used to become a NASA Datanaut and regional director of NASA's Space Apps Challenge in Washington, DC.[1]

O'Reilly is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha.[6]

Pageantry

In 2017, O'Reilly competed in Miss District of Columbia USA 2018, where she won a swimsuit award winner and placed as the third runner-up. On August 1, 2019, O'Reilly competed as Miss Dublin in the Miss Universe Ireland 2019 pageant in Dublin, Ireland. She won the competition in a historic moment as the first woman of colour to do so in the pageants history since 1961. She was crowned by the outgoing titleholder, Grainne Gallanagh. As Miss Universe Ireland, she represented Ireland at the Miss Universe 2019 pageant and her platform spotlighted the need for diversity and women in STEM (science, technology, engingeering, and math). She ultimately finished Unplaced.[7][8]

Philanthropy

In 2021, O'Reilly received the AAIDN Heritage and Diaspora Spirit Award from the African American Irish Diaspora Network's Inaugural Diaspora Leadership Awards Gala, hosted by Mary McAleese.[9] In 2022, O'Reilly launched Space to Reach, an organization dedicated to advancing Black to Brown women in STEM.[10]

References
  1. Rachel DeSantis (December 5, 2019). "History-Making Miss Universe Ireland Is a NASA Datanaut: 'You Can Be a Renaissance Woman'". people.com.
  2. Fikes, Robert (August 29, 2020). "Fionnghuala Isibeal Tome O'Reilly, (1993- )". BlackPast.org.
  3. "Geena Davis series returns for season 2". Variety.com. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  4. "Vice President Kamala Harris Celebrates Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Sisterhood in 'Twenty Pearls' Documentary (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.com. 23 March 2021.
  5. Gallagher, Katie (November 10, 2019). "Miss Universe Ireland faced racial prejudice in modelling industry". Irish Mirror.
  6. "Miss Universe Ireland is a Member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Who Works at NASA". WatchTheYard.com. December 9, 2019.
  7. Followell, Haylee. "NASA Analyst Fionnghuala O'Reilly from Dublin wins Miss Universe Ireland 2019". Buzz.ie. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  8. "NASA analyst crowned Miss Universe Ireland". Irish Central. 2 August 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  9. "African American Irish Diaspora Network to host its Inaugural Diaspora Leadership Awards Gala". Irish Central. 9 May 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  10. "What is tv correspondent and Tech Founder Fig O'Reilly does in a Work Day". The Washington Post. Retrieved 24 May 2022.


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