Alternative Miss Ireland
Encyclopedia
The Alternative Miss Ireland is an annual event which takes place in Dublin, Ireland
on the Sunday closest to St. Patrick's Day, 17 March. It occurs over about 3 and a half hours and features a pastiche of the beauty pageant rounds inspired by Andrew Logan
's Alternative Miss World, with nominally-themed day-wear, swimwear and evening-wear rounds. It is commonly shortened to AMI, both as its initials and a wordplay on the French for "friend".
From the promotional material "Alternative Miss Ireland (AMI) is an annual beauty pageant that is open to men, women and animals. It is also a non-profit collective dedicated to raising money for Irish HIV/AIDS organisations (over €235,000.00 raised since 1996)."
It regularly makes the March issue front cover of GCN
and is regarded by many as the highlight of Ireland's calendar of gay-themed events. Coverage by mainstream news media is muted (possibly because of its clash with St. Patrick's Day themed news) with occasional pieces in newspapers like The Irish Times
and a documentary A Bit Of The Other commissioned by RTE
.
(capacity 1,500) near the start of the 2000s to accommodate its increasing popularity. It is a fund-raising event for HIV/AIDS charities such as Cairde and St. James's Hospital
, Dublin. Although open to any entrant (a dog was once a contestant) it features mainly gay
-themed entrants and is commonly known as Gay Christmas since its host Panti
used that term regularly in her opening routines.
It features entries from heats around Ireland including Alternative Miss Cork, Alternative Miss Limerick, Alternative Miss Philippines (from a Philippines
community in Ireland) and the rest of the approximately 10 contestants enter directly.
In 1998, Miss Veda Beaux Reves
, who had just lost first place to Miss Tampy Lilette, allegedly threw her 'Golden Briquette' trophy at the judges in a tantrum. At the 2007 contest, the host Panti was surprised by a message from her hero Dolly Parton
. It is traditional that the previous year's winner does a new performance after the interval, as Miss Heidi Konnt did in 2006.
There is a large production team involved, known as the Alternative Miss Ireland 'Family'.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
on the Sunday closest to St. Patrick's Day, 17 March. It occurs over about 3 and a half hours and features a pastiche of the beauty pageant rounds inspired by Andrew Logan
Andrew Logan
Andrew Logan is an English sculptor, performance artist, jewellery-maker, portraitist and painter.He was born at Witney, Oxfordshire, in England. He was educated as an architect at the Oxford School of Architecture, graduating in 1970...
's Alternative Miss World, with nominally-themed day-wear, swimwear and evening-wear rounds. It is commonly shortened to AMI, both as its initials and a wordplay on the French for "friend".
From the promotional material "Alternative Miss Ireland (AMI) is an annual beauty pageant that is open to men, women and animals. It is also a non-profit collective dedicated to raising money for Irish HIV/AIDS organisations (over €235,000.00 raised since 1996)."
It regularly makes the March issue front cover of GCN
Gay Community News (Dublin)
Gay Community News, based in Dublin, is Ireland's longest-running LGBT publication. First published on 10 February 1988 when Tonie Walsh and Catherine Glendon, both activists on the Dublin gay scene, decided it was time for Ireland’s gay and lesbian population to have a free publication of their...
and is regarded by many as the highlight of Ireland's calendar of gay-themed events. Coverage by mainstream news media is muted (possibly because of its clash with St. Patrick's Day themed news) with occasional pieces in newspapers like The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
and a documentary A Bit Of The Other commissioned by RTE
Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
.
History
The first contest was held in Sides nightclub on 1 April 1987, followed by a hiatus until it began again in its present form during the mid-1990s. On restart it was held in The Red Box, POD, Dublin for the first few years. It switched to The Olympia Theatre, DublinOlympia Theatre, Dublin
The Olympia Theatre is a concert hall/theatre venue in Dublin, Ireland, located in Dame Street.-History:Built in 1879, it was originally called the "Star of Erin Music Hall". Two years later in 1881, it was renamed "Dan Lowrey's Music Hall" and was renamed again in 1889 to "Dan Lowrey's Palace of...
(capacity 1,500) near the start of the 2000s to accommodate its increasing popularity. It is a fund-raising event for HIV/AIDS charities such as Cairde and St. James's Hospital
St. James's Hospital
St. James's Hospital , also known as SJH, is the largest university teaching hospital in Dublin, Ireland. Its academic partner is the University of Dublin...
, Dublin. Although open to any entrant (a dog was once a contestant) it features mainly gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
-themed entrants and is commonly known as Gay Christmas since its host Panti
Panti
Panti is a drag queen character performed by Rory O'Neill , originally from Ballinrobe, County Mayo, Ireland.- Biography :Since 1996 Panti has been the hostess of the annual Alternative Miss Ireland pageant. Panti spent several years in Tokyo, , she returned to Ireland in 1995...
used that term regularly in her opening routines.
It features entries from heats around Ireland including Alternative Miss Cork, Alternative Miss Limerick, Alternative Miss Philippines (from a Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
community in Ireland) and the rest of the approximately 10 contestants enter directly.
In 1998, Miss Veda Beaux Reves
Veda Beaux Reves
Veda Beaux Reves, also known as Enda McGrattan, but better known simply as Veda, is a drag queen and singer from Dublin, Ireland.Winner of the 1999 Alternative Miss Ireland competition, In 2002 she formed indie rock group Daddy's Little Princess who later went on to support Scissor Sisters on tour...
, who had just lost first place to Miss Tampy Lilette, allegedly threw her 'Golden Briquette' trophy at the judges in a tantrum. At the 2007 contest, the host Panti was surprised by a message from her hero Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
. It is traditional that the previous year's winner does a new performance after the interval, as Miss Heidi Konnt did in 2006.
There is a large production team involved, known as the Alternative Miss Ireland 'Family'.
Winners
- 1987 Miss Isle - Alternative Miss Ireland I
- 1996 Miss Tress - Alternative Miss Ireland II
- 1997 Miss Shirley Temple BarShirley Temple BarShirley Temple Bar is a drag queen from Dublin, Ireland, whose name is a play on both Shirley Temple and a cultural area of Dublin city called Temple Bar. A 1997 winner of the Alternative Miss Ireland competition, Shirley hosts a weekly bingo and drag show in Dublin's largest gay bar, The George...
- Alternative Miss Ireland III - 1998 Miss Tampy Lilette - Alternative Miss Ireland IV
- 1999 Miss Veda Beaux RevesVeda Beaux RevesVeda Beaux Reves, also known as Enda McGrattan, but better known simply as Veda, is a drag queen and singer from Dublin, Ireland.Winner of the 1999 Alternative Miss Ireland competition, In 2002 she formed indie rock group Daddy's Little Princess who later went on to support Scissor Sisters on tour...
- Alternative Miss Ireland V - 2000 Miss Siobhan Broadway - Alternative Miss Ireland VI
- 2001 Miss Tina Leggs Tantrum - Alternative Miss Ireland VII
- 2002 Miss Sid Viscous - Alternative Miss Ireland VIII
- 2003 Miss Alter Ego - Alternative Miss Ireland IX
- 2004 Miss Twirly Chassy - Alternative Miss Ireland X
- 2005 Miss Heidi Konnt - Alternative Miss Ireland XI
- 2006 Miss Funtime Gustavo - Alternative Miss Ireland XII
- 2007 Joanna Ryde - Alternative Miss Ireland XIII
- 2008 Miss Sheila Fitzpatrick - Alternative Miss Ireland XIV
- 2009 Miss Smilin' Kanker - Alternative Miss Ireland XV
- 2010 Miss Peaches Queen - Alternative Miss Ireland XV
- 2011 Miss Mangina Jones - Alternative Miss Ireland XVII
List of Past Judges
- TwinkAdele KingAdele King is an Irish entertainer better known as Twink from her time as a member of a group called Maxi, Dick and Twink which was a girl band in Ireland in the late 1960s and 1970s. She is Chloë Agnew's mother....
- Van MorrisonVan MorrisonVan Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
- Anna NolanAnna NolanAnna Nolan is an Irish television presenter, producer and former business manager, waitress and Irish international basketball player. She has presented numerous television programmes in Ireland and the UK...
- Louis WalshLouis WalshLouis Walsh is an Irish music manager and judge on the British television talent show The X Factor.-Band manager:...
- Katherine LynchKatherine LynchKatherine Lynch is an Irish television personality from County Leitrim.Lynch is known for several television series broadcast on RTÉ Two: Katherine Lynch's Working Girls , Katherine Lynch's Wonderwomen , in which she plays a variety of unusual characters such as Singin' Bernie Walsh, Liz Hurley and...
- Tonie WalshTonie WalshTonie Walsh in Dublin, Ireland, is an LGBT rights activist, journalist, disc jockey and founder of Irish Queer Archive.-Biography:...
- Linda MartinLinda MartinLinda Martin is an Irish singer and television presenter. She is best known in Europe as the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest in 1992, with the song "Why Me?", and in Ireland as a member of the 1970s/1980s band, Chips.-Chips:Martin started off her musical career when she joined the band Chips...
- Marc AlmondMarc AlmondMarc Almond is an English singer-songwriter and musician, who originally found fame as half of the seminal synthpop/New Wave duo Soft Cell...
- Brendan CourtneyBrendan CourtneyBrendan Courtney is an Irish comedian and television presenter, the first openly gay presenter in Ireland. He has hosted Wanderlust on RTÉ Two, The Brendan Courtney Show on TV3, Playdate on ITV2 and Off the Rails on RTÉ One.-Career:Brendan began his career on RTÉ Two's Wanderlust and ITV1's Love...
- Ailbhe Smith
- Dorothy CrossDorothy CrossDorothy Cross is an artist born in Cork, Ireland. Working with diverse media, which includes sculpture, photography, video and installation she represented Ireland at the 1993 Venice Biennale...
- Maria Doyle-Kennedy
- Brenda FrickerBrenda FrickerBrenda Fricker is an Irish actress of theatre, film and television. She had appeared in more than 30 films and television roles...
- Nell McCaffertyNell McCaffertyNell McCafferty is an Irish journalist, playwright, civil rights campaigner and feminist. In her journalistic work she has written for The Irish Press, The Irish Times, Sunday Tribune, Hot Press and The Village Voice....
- Mr Pussy
- Michelle RoccaMichelle RoccaMichelle Rocca is a Dublin socialite who initially achieved a degree of fame as the wife of footballer John Devine before becoming for a lengthy period the girlfriend, and later, the wife of Van Morrison...
- Trish Brennan
- Agnes BernelleAgnes BernelleAgnes Bernelle was an actress and singer, long-based in the UK for much of her career, although she later settled in Ireland. Her family had fled Berlin in 1936...
- Senators David Norris and Ivana BacikIvana BacikIvana Catherine Bacik is an Irish politician and academic. She has been Reid Professor of Criminal Law, Criminology and Penology at Trinity College, Dublin Law School since 1996, and was a made a Fellow of Trinity College Dublin in 2005. She was elected a Senator for the University of Dublin...
- Jonny Woo
- Gert Jonkers
- Le Gateaux Chocolate
- Blind Boy Boat Club and Mr.Chrome of The RubberbanditsThe RubberbanditsThe Rubberbandits are the award-winning comedy hip-hop duo of Blindboy Boat Club and Mr. Chrome from Limerick, Ireland. Primarily a satirical stage and television act, they have performed throughout Ireland, the UK and USA with shows at events such as Electric Picnic Oxegen and the Bulmers...
- Neo-cabaret duo Bourgeois & Maurice
External links
- http://www.alternativemissireland.com
- http://www.irishtimes.com/indepth/slideshows/alternative-miss-ireland/
- http://www.visitdublin.com/Events/AllDublinEvents/Detail.aspx?id=298&mid=4872
- http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/article460135.ece
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mi1J4aGogo Panti 'channelling' Twink (a famous Dublin diva) at AMI XIII 2007
- http://www.youtube.com/user/AlternativeMissIRL Alternative Miss Ireland YouTube Videos
- http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=70134FC9741B1794 Playlist of Joanna Ryde's winning videos at AMI XIII 2007