Rose of Tralee

“The Kerry Rose is flying this year! From day one when we started back, the enthusiasm around the county has been just brilliant, with some eager participants who have had their applications in and have been sitting waiting since late 2019!

We have a really diverse group of 23 strong, capable, charismatic young women involved, and it is truly amazing to see how fast the bonds of friendship have taken hold amongst them. They are a joy to be around, and the positive vibes seem to be extending out in all directions.

We have received such wonderful support from sponsors all around Tralee and around the Kingdom, with particular mention to those sponsoring prizes for our 2022 Kerry Rose, and those that facilitated our Rose Tour, which was a huge success as an ‘Experience Dingle’ day.

So many people when approached about sponsorship, even after the tough couple of years we have all put down, were immediately onboard, without any hesitation whatsoever, and it was really humbling to speak to them all. I would like to publicly thank them all for their support, and my hope is that it will come back to them tenfold. You can’t beat supporting local!

We have kept the Roses busy with plenty of activities, from a night at the Kingdom Greyhound Stadium, to a welcome return to the Kingdom County Fair, to Afternoon Tea hosted by Lotties in the Ashe Hotel, to a fabulous sunny day out and about the stunning Dingle Daingean Uí Chúis. The girls faced fears, and enjoyed the adventure of it all, and it was a really special day out. It has been so lovely getting to know the group, and I think it’s going to be a really special night in Siamsa with Dáithí.

The nerves are probably kicking in a little now as they face interviews this weekend, in advance of the Selection on the 4th of June, but there are three great judges there who know and understand the setup, and will surely put the girls at ease and have them leaving their interviews wondering what all the fuss was about.

It has been a strange experience no doubt for Sally Ann, our 2019 Kerry Rose, who will have been the longest serving Kerry Rose, and who has been so obliging and a joy to work with these past few years. We will be sad to see her pass on the sash, but once a Rose, always a Rose, and SallyAnn may just join us on the Kerry Rose Team next year, I suspect! A more elegant, graceful, kind hearted, supportive and positive lady you won’t find!

It is my absolute honour to be the Kerry Rose Centre Coordinator, it being the home county of the Festival, and my heart is fully in the role. I care deeply about this Festival and about the ladies that get involved. My aim is to be a facilitator -of friendship, of providing a hugely positive experience for the entrants, and of instilling an appreciation for community and locality, and I can already see a growth in the confidence of these women, who are all flourishing thanks to the support of their fellow Roses.

The Festival in Tralee from the 19th-23rd of August is going to be back full of life and entertainment and all the fun of the fair as per usual, bringing thousands back to Tralee to enjoy the amusements, parades, concerts, fireworks, street entertainment, market stalls, and of course Roses and Escorts and their supporters from all over visiting the town. We want to focus on bringing the 33 Roses coming to Tralee this year back into town, enjoying the festivities and posing for pictures and signing autographs for all the young boys and girls. With Féile na mBláth in the park at the same time – it is sure to be a hit with families, and a great lineup of gigs in the Dome in the centre of town will surely draw in the crowds too!

We are over the moon at the thought of the festival being back in just 13 short weeks(!), and it has taken a lot of hard work behind the scenes from the Festival team to get it to where it is. We are proud of and excited for what the Festival will bring back to the town this year. After three long years, just like the old tv ad, we will be able to say…worth waiting for! :)”