DUBLIN ROSE SUAD Mooge has said she has been the subject of constant racist comments online since she won the Dublin title last week.

25-year-old medical scientist Mooge was born in Sligo and raised in Dublin and is due to represent the capital at the Rose of Tralee in August.

Speaking with Kieran Cuddihy on RTÉ Radio 1 Liveline this afternoon, Mooge said she wasn’t surprised at the hateful comments, but didn’t expect so many of them.

“It’s just been a lot of ‘you’re not Irish’, and a lot of mentions about skin tone and religion,” she said. “I’m shocked, but I’m not surprised.”

Mooge said the comments are “part of the experience of growing up in Ireland as a person of colour”.

The Dublin Rose said she knows she doesn’t need to prove her Irishness to the people joining the “hate train”.

“I know I’m Irish, and I know myself. I don’t have to prove to anyone how Irish I am. It’s a very small group of people who are just very loud.”

“I know that it’s just a very small group, it’s just reminding myself this does not represent Ireland. This does not represent people’s opinions. It’s just a very small, loud group of people with a lot of time on their hands and just putting a lot of hate out there.”

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Mooge said that the reaction shows her that “change is needed”.

“I’m just grateful to be given the opportunity to be at the forefront of this and to represent other communities and to show girls who kind of see themselves in me that ‘You can go for this. This is open to you, and there’s no reason why you can’t go for this’.”