Miss Smiling Irish Eyes crowned for Pittsburgh's St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald crowned the newest Miss Irish Smiling Eyes on Friday.

This year’s Irish queen is Maggie Byrnes. Her court members are Erin Joyce and Anne Garvey.

The trio will be part of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday in Pittsburgh.

“It is always a pleasure to have the honor of crowning Miss Smiling Irish Eyes, and this year was no exception,” Fitzgerald said in a news release. “Maggie, Anne and Erin are an example to their peers, and a credit to their families. With young people like this in our community, our future is in good hands.”

Byrnes is a senior at South Park High School and the daughter of Martin and Elizabeth Byrnes. She is a high honor roll student, a news release said. She aspires to attend either Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University or the U.S. Military Academy, for which she has received a congressional nomination from U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb.

Court Maiden Erin Joyce, from Crafton, is a student at Waynesburg University, majoring in political science with minors in history and military science. She is the daughter of Timothy and Maryanne Joyce and is a 2016 graduate of Bishop Canevin High School.

Court Maiden Anne Garvey, from Mt. Lebanon, is a student at Duquesne University, where she is a member of the Dean’s List and will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in reading and literacy education. She is the daughter of William and Barbara Garvey.

Pittsburgh’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade is normally attended by more than 200,000 people.