AN award winning teacher has been named as the 2014 London Rose.

Saoirse Faughnan from Letterkenny, Donegal and a secondary school teacher for Burnt Mill Academy in Essex, has been previously awarded as an Outstanding Teacher in her school and is also nominated for a Teachers Award.

The 24-year-old was selected from 14 other hopefuls at the annual London Rose of Tralee selection ball at the Crown Moran Hotel, Cricklewood on Saturday night.

Saoirse, whose grandmother hails from County Donegal and whose mother is from County Sligo, represented the Burnt Mill Academy, on the night.

She wowed the judges with her rendition of the popular W.B. Yeat poem, The Lake Isle of Inishfree, which she recited half in English and half as Gaeilge.

Saoirse was in a state of shock and denial, as she clasped her face into her hand, when her name was called out by chairman of the London Rose Centre Noel O’Sullivan.

She said: “I am in a state of euphoria and ecstatic and truly honored to be presented the sash by the outgoing London Rose Grace Kenny. I am honored to take on this role for my family and for London and go on to represent every single Irish person in London. I hope I can complete it with passion and pride.”

Saoirse will now go forward to the Rose of Tralee Regional finals in Portlaoise from May 29 to the June 1.

She follows in the footsteps of outgoing London Rose Grace Kenny who was on hand to present Saoirse with her official London Rose sash.

Other guests of honor on the night included Mayor of Kerry Seamus Fitzgerald.