Congratulations Maddie! We are so proud of you on becoming the 2024 Miss Smiling Irish Eyes Queen.

Pittsburgh St. Patrick’s Day Parade –

The 2024 Miss Smiling Irish Eyes Queen is Madalyn Byrnes. A Dean’s List junior at Robert Morris University from Springdale, Ms. Byrnes is majoring in Public Relations and Advertising with minors in Graphic Design and Business. She is a 2021 Summa Cum Laude graduate of Springdale High School, where she received the Springdale Future Hall of Famer award in May 2021 for her involvement in the Springdale community via her volunteerism and after school activities. Ms. Byrnes is the daughter of Gary and Regina Byrnes of Springdale. She has a long family history in the Pittsburgh Irish community. Her great-great-grandfather, Thomas Byrnes, immigrated to Pittsburgh from Ballymacarby Co. Waterford, Ireland, and joined the Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) Division #23, a division in which Ms. Byrnes’ father and brothers are all members. Ms. Byrnes’ mother, Regina, was a founding member of Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians (LAOH) Division #23 in 1999 and currently serves as President of LAOH Division #23. Ms. Byrnes has been involved in LAOH Division #23 since she was five years old, and served as President of Jr. LAOH Division #23 before matriculating to LAOH Division #23 in 2021. She credits her family’s activity in the local Irish community and her involvement with LAOH Division #23 with making her the woman she is today, who values and preserves her Irish heritage and feels she is not only proud, but lucky, to say she has such a rich ancestry.

In addition to her involvement in the Pittsburgh Irish community, Ms. Byrnes is a dedicated member of the Pittsburgh community at large. In 2020, she was awarded the Junior Women in Achievement Award from Cribs for Kids for her volunteer work within Crib for Kids’ fields and communities. She is an active volunteer for the Walk & Roll event hosted by the National Ataxia Foundation, a degenerative disease that afflicts several members of Ms. Byrnes’ family, and served as Co-Chair to raise $29,000 for Ataxia research. Ms. Byrnes also serves as a CIT leader for Fun & Freedom Day Camp, a program designed to positively impact the lives of youth by using sports, Bible studies, and community outreach. Ms. Byrnes also volunteers with the Christmas Shoebox Program and Operation Christmas Child. When she is not volunteering, engaging in activities with LAOH Division #23, or studying, Ms. Byrnes is the President of the Robert Morris University club soccer team, is a member of the Women’s Leadership and Mentorship Program, and serves as Secretary of the Robert Morris University Coalition for Christian Outreach (CCO). Upon graduation, Ms. Byrnes plans to use her degree from Robert Morris to develop marketing outreach for the Jr. LAOH across the state of Pennsylvania and encourage other young women to join and discover how enriching their Irish heritage can be. Ms. Byrnes would like to pursue a professional career in donor relations for a nonprofit organization, preferably a childhood cancer foundation, as her nephew is a proud childhood cancer survivor.