AnneMarie Caffrey Mentei, a 21-year-old Villanova University senior was crowned the 2023 Mary from Dungloe at the Donegal Ball in early December at The Irish Center in Philadelphia. She accepted her crown from Olivia Lisowski, who wore it for several years because she was unable to travel to Ireland for the international event because of the Covid pandemic.
AnneMarie is an Irish Studies major, and is minoring in Peace and Justice and Spanish. At Villanova she’s the co-president of the Irish Cultural Society and also serves on the executive board of the Campus Activities Team as the chair of marketing. One of her favorite memories, she says, was organizing the 2022 NCAA March Madness Final Four Game Watch at Villanova.
This past summer, AnneMarie took advantage of an opportunity to live and study in Dublin, where she interned at a law firm. She worked alongside a solicitor while she studied Irish immigration laws. During her time there, says AnneMarie, she discovered a passion for Irish literature which has fueled her course studies for her final year of college. She is currently in the process of writing her senior thesis paper which focuses on representations of mental health and women as represented in literature, mainly Irish.
AnneMarie’s family comes from County Mayo. Her great grandparents came to the US in the late 1800s and settled in Scranton, PA where they opened and operated a hotel which catered to the working class and newly arrived immigrants who came to work in the local coal mines and railroad. At the hotel, her great grandmother ran the dining room and was famous for her Irish pasties. The hotel served as a gathering place for the local Irish community to enjoy a pint and each other’s company.
The Philadelphia Mary from Dungloe is selected at the annual Donegal Ball, hosted by the Donegal Assocation of Philadelphia. The Donegal Association sponsors the winner, sending her to the International Mary from Dungloe International Arts Festival in Dungloe, Co. Donegal. Two Philly Marys have been crowned International Mary from Dungloe.
The festival, now going into its 56th year is rooted in Dungloe, remembering the tragic love story of Mary Gallagher, a native of Dungloe whose parents would not let her marry the love of her life. Her love left for the United States and before he could return, she passed away. The festival remembers her story, while giving young Irish women from around the world come together and celebrate their roots while they take in everything Donegal.
Look for AnneMarie in the upcoming Burlington County St. Patrick’s Day Parade (March 4) Springfield St. Patrick’s Day Parade (March 11) and Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade (March 12).
She will be traveling to Ireland this summer for the 56th International Mary from Dungloe Festival from July 29 to August 7.