The first ever black Miss Ireland says she never thought she would get here.
Miss Galway, Pamela Uba, made history on Sunday by being crowned the first black Miss Ireland.
The 26-year-old, whose family moved from South Africa to Ireland when she was seven, has a master's degree from Trinity College Dublin in clinical chemistry and now works in Galway University Hospital.
Pamela is also a former direct provision resident, where her family lived for 10 years.
She told Lunchtime Live the whole experience is still hard to let in.
"It feels surreal, like I haven't come back down to Earth, it's just a whirlwind of thrills and excitment and I'm so, so, so grateful.
"When you have a dream, and you work so hard for it, when you actually acheive it it is quite shocking to realise 'Oh my God you actually made it'.
"I couldn't believe it, I just broke down in tears - I was telling myself 'Don't cry' but it just kept flooding out of me."
Miss Ireland 2021 😭❤️👑@MissIrelandORG @MissWorldLtd pic.twitter.com/vYi0Ei8aSQ
— Pamela Ashley Uba (@Pamela_Uba) September 6, 2021
She says she hopes she can be an example that anything is possible.
"I came to Ireland when I was seven, from South Africa, and I spent the majority of my time growing up in direct provision at the time.
"So to go from that, to becoming a medical scientist, winning Ladies Day in 2019, winning Miss Galway and now Miss Ireland it's such an achievement.
"I can't believe it actually came to pass this way; if you asked me back then in my teenage years 'Would I be here today?' I wouldn't have believed you.
"And to be a woman of colour - winning Miss Ireland - that is amazing and that shows people that no matter who you are, you can do can whatever you set your mind to.
"And I only hope for all my people of colour and all that community, and our community here in Ireland as a whole, that it's something that shows inspiration and opens doors for people and makes them realise that you can do whatever you put your mind to".
Direct provision 'quite difficult'
Pamela says living in direct provision took its toll.
"The direct provisions centres is quite hard for families, especially when you have to spend a very long time there.
"My family spent 10 years there - it's a system where you're nearly reliant on everyone, you can't do anything for yourself.
"Especially during the time that we were in that centre; we would have to oblige to rules of coming in to the centre at a certain time, having your food at a certain time.
Miss Ireland Pamela Uba. Picture via @Pamela_Uba on Twitter"Something as simple as making a dinner for yourself, of what you would like to eat - you had no option, you couldn't go to work".
Pamela says at one point her family lived in a caravan and "couldn't get people to come over to my house, and I was ashamed of where I was staying.
"So it's quite difficult and it does put a downer on your mental health".
Pamela is also an ambassador for Variety Ireland, which helps children with education.
"I wanted to do as much as I can... just to help children and help them with their educational needs, because education is what got me through it and I wanted to instill that feeling in them".
She will represent Ireland at the Miss World 2021 contest in Puerto Rico in December.
