# Michelle Rocca > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Michelle_Rocca > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Michelle_Rocca.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Rocca > Source revision: 1310076099 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Irish model and television presenter Michelle Rocca Born Michelle Mary Teresa Rocca 1961 (age 64–65) Dublin, Ireland Children 5 Beauty pageant titleholder Title Miss Ireland 1980 Major competition(s) Miss Ireland 1980 (Winner) Miss International 1981 (2nd runner-up) Miss World 1980 (Unplaced) **Michelle Mary Teresa Rocca** (born 1961) is an Irish TV host, former model and beauty pageant titleholder who won [Miss Ireland](/source/Miss_Ireland) 1980. The following year, she married footballer [John Devine](/source/John_Devine_(footballer%2C_born_1958)). Two years after their divorce in 1990 she met and later married, Northern Irish singer [Van Morrison](/source/Van_Morrison).[1][2] ## Career Rocca grew up in a large family with two brothers and three sisters. Rocca attended [University College Dublin](/source/University_College_Dublin) studying [Greek](/source/Ancient_Greece) and [Roman Civilization](/source/History_of_Rome), as well as Italian and French [Archaeology](/source/Archaeology). She is fluent in several languages and has earned an [MA](/source/Master_of_Arts) degree from [Trinity College](/source/Trinity_College%2C_Dublin) in Dublin and also a degree from [Bristol University](/source/Bristol_University). She was named [Miss Ireland](/source/Miss_Ireland) in 1980[3] and was the number 3 finalist in the [Miss International 1981](/source/Miss_International_1981) pageant. She worked in the family business and also modeled until she joined [RTÉ](/source/RT%C3%89) in 1987 as a television presenter. In 1988, she co-hosted the [Eurovision Song Contest 1988](/source/Eurovision_Song_Contest_1988) with [Pat Kenny](/source/Pat_Kenny) in front of a worldwide audience of 600 million viewers.[4] She continued to model, with occasional presenting jobs, such as the [Miss World 1990](/source/Miss_World_1990) contest in London.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] Rocca later became a psychology and motivational teacher with a master's degree in [philosophy](/source/Philosophy) and [English](/source/English_language).[5] ## Personal life Rocca is the daughter of Paddy and Maureen Rocca, and granddaughter of Italian immigrant Egidio Rocca. Rocca began dating [Arsenal](/source/Arsenal_F.C.) and [Irish](/source/Republic_of_Ireland_national_football_team) International [footballer](/source/Association_football) [John Devine](/source/John_Devine_(footballer%2C_born_1958)) when she was 17 and they were married in 1981 and lived in England. The couple had two daughters. They separated in 1987 and she returned to Dublin with the children.[3] They divorced in 1990. She was engaged to Cathal Ryan, son of multi-millionaire [Tony Ryan](/source/Tony_Ryan) who co-founded [Ryanair](/source/Ryanair) and owned [Guinness Peat Aviation](/source/Guinness_Peat_Aviation). After living together for two years, they separated when Michelle was expecting their child, who was born in April 1991.[3] Upon Cathal Ryan's death in December 2007 of cancer, Rocca was quoted as saying, "He was a wonderful father to Claudia; he and I had a very good relationship over the past number of years and he will be greatly missed by all of us."[6] Rocca met Northern Irish singer-songwriter [Van Morrison](/source/Van_Morrison) in the summer of 1992.[7] They married in the mid-1990s and divorced on 24 March 2018.[8] They have two children, Aibhe and Fionn Ivan.[5] She was the second woman to appear on one of Morrison's album covers—1995's *[Days Like This](/source/Days_Like_This_(Van_Morrison_album))*. The first was Morrison's first wife Janet "Planet" Rigsbee, who appeared on the cover of 1971's *[Tupelo Honey](/source/Tupelo_Honey)*. Rocca also appeared on the cover of the October 1994 tribute album, *[No Prima Donna: The Songs of Van Morrison](/source/No_Prima_Donna%3A_The_Songs_of_Van_Morrison)*. Rocca has five children.[1] ## See also - [List of Eurovision Song Contest presenters](/source/List_of_Eurovision_Song_Contest_presenters) ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Aug2006_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Aug2006_1-1) ["Bundle of joy thrills Van and Michelle"](https://web.archive.org/web/20171014184102/http://www.independent.ie/woman/celeb-news/bundle-of-joy-thrills-van-and-michelle-26415514.html). independent.ie. 20 August 2006. Archived from [the original](http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/news-gossip/bundle-of-joy-thrills-van-and-michelle-133797.html) on 14 October 2017. Retrieved 14 October 2017. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Feb1999_2-0)** ["The passionate intensity of mismatched lovers"](https://web.archive.org/web/20171014184104/http://www.independent.ie/unsorted/features/the-passionate-intensity-of-mismatched-lovers-26258328.html). independent.ie. 28 February 1999. Archived from [the original](http://www.independent.ie/unsorted/features/the-passionate-intensity-of-mismatched-lovers-517979.html) on 14 October 2017. Retrieved 14 October 2017. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Rogan,_No_Surrender,_p.407_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Rogan,_No_Surrender,_p.407_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Rogan,_No_Surrender,_p.407_3-2) Rogan, No Surrender, p. 407 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Eurovision_4-0)** ["23 years ago today - Céline Dion wins for Switzerland"](http://www.eurovision.tv/page/news?id=29243). Eurovision. Retrieved 19 November 2013. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Sep2013_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Sep2013_5-1) ["She's back in fashion, as Michelle Rocca steps out with daughter"](http://www.independent.ie/woman/fashion/shes-back-in-fashion-as-michelle-rocca-steps-out-with-daughter-29576518.html). independent.ie. 13 September 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2017. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Heffernan, Breda (21 December 2007). ["Founder's son dies aged 48"](http://www.independent.ie/national-news/ryanair-founders-son-dies-aged-48-1252322.html). independent.ie. Retrieved 23 January 2008. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Rogan, No Surrender, p. 406 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Eyekiller (25 April 2018). ["Official Statement"](https://www.vanmorrison.com/news/2018/van-morrison-statement). *Van Morrison*. Retrieved 25 April 2018. ## Sources - Rogan, Johnny (2006): *Van Morrison : No Surrender*, London:Vintage Books [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-09-943183-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-09-943183-1) - [Where Are They Now?](https://web.archive.org/web/20080712212729/http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/1999/08/30/opinion_222.htm), *Irish Examiner*, 30 August 1999 ## External links - [BP Fallon: Van and Michelle in New Orleans, 1996](https://web.archive.org/web/20010530201828/http://www.bpfallon.com/article_van2.html) - [Michelle Rocca @ IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0733617/bio) Awards and achievements Preceded by Karin Zorn Miss World - Photogenic 1980 Succeeded by Melissa Hannan Preceded by Maura McMenamim Miss Ireland 1980 Succeeded by Geraldine Mary McGrory Media offices Preceded by Viktor Lazlo Eurovision Song Contest presenter (with Pat Kenny) 1988 Succeeded by Jacques Deschenaux and Lolita Morena Preceded by Ronan Collins Eurovision Song Contest Ireland commentator (with Ronan Collins) 1989 Succeeded by Jimmy Greeley and Clíona Ní Bhuachalla v t e Miss World 1980 national titleholders Gabriella Brum Kimberley Santos Elizabeth Anita Reddi Michelle Rocca Frances Ondiviela Rosy Senanayake Brooke Alexander Hilda Abrahamz v t e Miss International 1981 national titleholders Jenny Derek Meenakshi Seshadri Michelle Rocca Frances Ondiviela --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Michelle Rocca](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Rocca) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Rocca?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.