Caoilfhinn Ní Choiligh, the newly crowned Rose of Tralee, has captured national attention with her openness about living with alopecia for the past ten years. The 25-year-old contestant revealed her journey with the autoimmune condition on stage, culminating in the removal of her wig during her interview, a moment that resonated widely.
Ní Choiligh, who was diagnosed with alopecia areata at 15, shared that the path to self-acceptance has taken a decade. She admitted that early experiences with hair loss significantly impacted her confidence, making her feel inadequate. "We just can’t take a compliment, and we find it very hard to put ourselves into the open and receive flowers or talk about what makes us great. I think we’re allergic to it," she said of a perceived trait among Irish women. She sees the Rose of Tralee festival as a platform that "highlights all the different achievements and accomplishments that women have and how we can all be so different but still amazing."
Despite a recent surge in confidence, Ní Choiligh initially had reservations about participating in the Rose of Tralee, concerned that her alopecia might define her. However, she recognized it as a significant part of her story that has shaped her. "My confidence had started to come back, and I’d been saying yes to things, so for me, the timing was right," she stated. She viewed the competition as "exposure therapy of the highest degree and a great way to put myself out there and give myself a bit of credit for all the things I have achieved and that have helped make me this new person that I am now."
She described the early stages of her hair loss as the most challenging, marked by unpredictable shedding. As a distraction, she immersed herself in various activities, including camogie, local theatre, and youth activism. By age 18, she began wearing wigs as her hair loss became more apparent. Ní Choiligh explained that there is no guaranteed cure for alopecia and that treatments can be expensive with no certainty of success. "Alopecia is hit and miss. It has a mind of its own," she noted. She opted not to pursue treatments, finding solace and expression through wigs.
While acknowledging the difficulty of hair loss, particularly during adolescence and amid societal pressures for perfection amplified by social media, Ní Choiligh considers herself "quite lucky" to have developed alopecia at a younger age. She believes that experiencing it later in life, after having her hair for a long time, might have been more impactful. "I was at that stage that I was still figuring out my identity, so kind of played into it then," she reflected. "Now I fully embrace it. I don’t think that would have been the case if it had started in my 20s."
Her participation in sports like camogie became impractical as she could no longer tie her hair up, leading her to focus on theatre. In amateur dramatics, she could wear wigs without question, but as her confidence grew, she became comfortable removing her wig on stage, an act she later replicated on the Rose of Tralee stage. Ní Choiligh's past involvement in youth activism included speaking at the Dáil and performing in a play attended by former President Michael D. Higgins.
Post-pandemic, Ní Choiligh co-founded the Hair Loss Haven with a friend, providing support and information for individuals experiencing any form of hair loss. She currently channels her activism through her social media, aiming to raise awareness about autoimmune conditions and alopecia, topics she feels are not discussed openly enough. She showcased about ten wigs on the Rose of Tralee stage, explaining the versatility they offer, but in daily life, she prefers to wear one for a period to maintain recognition. She is also studying to become a wig maker, with plans to focus on repairs and alterations.
Ní Choiligh shared her advice for others facing hair loss: "You need to accept it, embrace it, don’t let it define you and don’t be discouraged. Embrace the imperfections because when you do that, you start to care less about it. You become unbothered and it allows you to move on to bigger and better things."
She mentioned her intention to create a "wig wall" in her new home, inspired by the character Moira Rose from the television series "Schitt's Creek." As the new Rose of Tralee, she plans to use her platform to advocate for those with alopecia and autoimmune conditions, emphasizing that differences should be celebrated and that perfection is not the ultimate goal. She is proud to have become a role model and intends to represent her county, Westmeath, and the festival seriously throughout her reign. Her prize package includes a world travel opportunity valued at €25,000. She stated her goal is to "let people know that you can be a Rose no matter what your imperfections. There is such power in showcasing what makes us different and to me, wearing wigs is my normal and something I embrace. We should never be afraid to show who we are."