‘Just a normal girl, with big dreams’

The final year student at St Bricin's made Junk Kouture finals in 2020 and 2019

An aspiring young Cavan model has been chosen as one of the celebrated faces of Climate Week NYC, one of the world's most influential international showcases aimed at leading environmental action.

Nadine Maguire's appearance on billboards across the Big Apple as Climate Week NYC takes place, September 20-26, follows her headline grabbing catwalk performance as 'Paper Doll' in the Junk Kouture final last year.

Mum Tina explains: "During the summer Junk Kouture asked me would it be okay if Nadine's photograph be sent forward. They had teamed up with Climate Week in New York and wanted to use her as one of the faces."

Nadine (21), from Highfield Road in Cavan Town, who has dreams of one day being a model, immediately gave an enthusiastic "thumbs up".

But it wasn't until last week, when Tina's phone started hopping with messages and well-wishes from abroad, did the Maguire family learn how widely shared Nadine's image was.

Adorning advertising hoardings on streets and bus stops throughout the city that never sleeps, Tina says: "We started getting photos from different people living in New York, so it's been very exciting, for Nadine, for us all really. Nadine is over the moon. Everyone has seen her."

The second youngest of four children, Nadine agreed to have her picture shared as much for herself as to prove to the world how much can be achieved.

"She loves being on stage. She's doing it for Down Syndrome as well, to show what can be done.

She'd love to one day have a future career in fashion, however that might happen," Tina tells The Anglo-Celt.

"I love singing, I love dancing. I love modelling and I love fashion," says Nadine, who appeared at the Junk Kouture 2020 final as part of a team alongside fellow St Bricin’s College students Aaron Maguire and Megan Fitzpatrick.

Nadine, now entering her final year at the Belturbet secondary school, also made the finals in 2019, when she appeared on stage at Dublin's 3 Arena in front of more than 5,000 people.

Nadine's mother Tina is fulsome in her praise of the local school and the Junk Kouture competition for giving young people "a chance" to explore their talents.

She further notes that her daughter's image being used for Climate Week NYC has been a "dream come true" for Nadine.

"From when she was a young age, we don't know where it came from, but Nadine has always loved modelling. It's all she's ever wanted do. Modelling, performing, singing, you name it. She's all about fashion. 'Camera me, camera me' is what she'll say," Tina says of Nadine, who received a Mini Cooper to celebrate her 21st birthday earlier this month. The little red car, which sits pride of place in the family driveway waiting for Nadine to be chauffeured about town, is her daughter's "pride and joy".

"She's just in her element with it, buying little bits for it, and sitting out in it and listening to the radio, Nathan Carter and all her music."

Says Tina of Nadine: "She's just wonderful. A normal girl, with big dreams. We're very, very lucky, we couldn't ever ask for anything more with her. She just brings love no matter where she goes."