Miss Universe Ireland winner Grainne Gallanagh exposes the pros and cons of FIFO work after trading in the glitz and glamour for the mines

A former Miss Universe contestant who swapped the catwalk for the tough but lucrative work in the mud quarries of the Australian outback says her new life had its drawbacks, but she would recommend it to anyone.

Grainne Gallanagh is from County Donegal in the Irish province of Ulster and moved to Perth with her fiancé Ryan Coleman in March last year.

After a short holiday and taking on temporary jobs, the two started working together doing FIFO (fly-in, fly-out) work at a mine in Western Australia.

The 12-hour days in the blazing Australian sun were a far cry from Ms Gallanagh’s glamorous life on the catwalk.

The 29-year-old won the Miss Universe Ireland pageant in 2018 and finished in the top 20 of the Miss Universe pageant later that year.

However, she said her time as a truck driver in the mine was the first time she had “no fear or stress” when she went to work.

Ms Gallanagh said the well-paid work in the mines was a great way to save money, as most costs were covered locally. In addition, the ample time off – to compensate for the long shifts and lack of weekends – gave her plenty of time to travel.

The Irish model admitted in a candid Q&A post on her Instagram that there are downsides to it, too.

She said the long shifts, especially during the gruelling summer heat, and the many flies that come with them were one of the downsides of the job.

Ms Gallanagh added that the nature of the job (more office-based than home-based) makes it difficult to ‘make friends, join classes and clubs’.

Despite this, she said she will ‘miss’ her time at FIFO when she moves back to Ireland to get married in July this year.

Ms Gallanagh said she was anxious and had “no idea what to expect” when she first took the three-hour flight from Perth to the workplace.

Her fears quickly disappeared when she met her colleagues and found them “so nice and friendly.”

“I thought, ‘Great! I know I’m going to be absolutely fine,'” she said Doireann Garrihy in a podcast in July.

Ms Gallanagh said she was lucky because she was dealing with temperatures well above 40 degrees Celsius in the summer and got a job working in an air-conditioned lorry.

“The boys may need supplies or tools and they’re out in the field… so I’ll bring it to them, it’s busy and it’s good,” she said.

‘And when it was really hot, I got to do the icy pole run, that was my favorite course. I just rode around with a big bunch of icy poles and handed them out.’

Despite being one of the few women on the work floor, her positive attitude made her feel at home and won her the ‘Employee of the Year’ award; an honour she would like to hang on her wall.

She moved to Australia with her current fiancé Ryan Coleman (both pictured), with whom she worked on location until July this year

Ms Gallanagh said the well-paid job was great for saving money as most costs are covered locally, while extended time off-site provided time to travel

Mrs Gallanagh and her partner came to Australia on a work visa and were required to work in rural areas for 88 days within their first year.

In April, she told her social media followers that they had both already met the visa requirements, but had chosen to continue with FIFO work because they enjoyed it.

The couple even got engaged during their holiday in November and have since moved back to Ireland for their wedding.

“I had no idea what I was doing and it was mostly men,” she wrote.

“But I was so pleasantly surprised. They are so incredibly patient, helpful and kind and have made me laugh every day.”

She also recommended others to come to Australia and try FIFO work.

“It’s not easy to leave your family and what you know, especially when you’re happy at home, have a great job, and are surrounded by your family. It’s never easy,” she said.

‘Australia is amazing and I love it, the weather is amazing. You have to go into it with a bit of a realistic mindset and a plan.’