Nellie flies the flag for Roscommon at Puppy of the Year final
Nellie, a Maltese Cross represented County Roscommon at the Petmania Puppy of the Year 2026 Grand Final.
Nellie, a Maltese cross owned by Enya Reilly from Roscommon, represented the county at the Petmania Puppy of the Year 2026 Grand Final, joining 25 fellow county finalists following a competition that attracted 1,414 entries nationwide.
The final took place at Pet Expo at the National Show Centre in Dublin on Saturday, October 17th.
Hosted by Eurovision legend and animal welfare advocate Linda Martin, the event brought together the finalists, their families and the Petmania team to celebrate the puppies.
Nellie made her presence felt from the moment her family collected her, barking the whole way home from Wexford to Roscommon and quickly making herself at home.
Speaking about Nellie’s arrival and what inspired her to enter the competition, owner Enya Reilly said: “When we got her sister Maggie, it took Maggie a full week to bark. We thought Nellie would be similar, but when we arrived to pick her up, she came charging with force barking, and barked the whole way from Wexford to Roscommon! There was no settling period - she ruled the roost as soon as she walked through our gate.”
She added: “For anyone considering a puppy, my advice is: have patience and don’t lose your cool if your pup is taking longer to learn. Maggie was a lot quicker to learn things than Nellie, and that was frustrating at first, but we learned not to compare and follow Nellie’s lead and she is excelling now. Not all dogs are the same.”
Nellie competed in the Connacht category alongside Lola, a Bernese Mountain Dog from Oughterard, County Galway, owned by Ryan Gibbons; Rua, a Jack Russell Terrier from Mohill, County Leitrim, owned by Zara Sheahan; Fly, a Collie from Riverstown, County Sligo, owned by Louise Merrick; and Ivy, a Dalmatian from Ballina, County Mayo, owned by Aoife Tompkins.
Ivy was crowned Connacht provincial winner before taking the overall Petmania Puppy of the Year 2026 title, becoming the first dog from County Mayo - and the first Dalmatian - to win the competition.
