Four local roses bid to seal Tralee place

Four local roses will be among 61 taking part in the Rose of Tralee Regional Final this weekend as they aim to be selected as part of the 23 to qualify for the Tralee international festival.

Roscommon Rose, Orla Gately, from Curraghboy, Longford Rose, Aisling Farrell, from Tang, Liverpool Rose, Lisa O’Halloran from Athlone, and Westmeath Rose Shauna Coyne will all travel to Portlaoise this bank holiday weekend for the regional finals.

Rose of Tralee host Dáithí ” Sé will interview each of the 61 Roses over three nights before two judging panels select 23 Roses to go forward International Festival and Rose Gathering in Tralee next August.

19-year-old Curraghboy student Orla Gately works part time in Regan’s Pub and Restaurant in Roscommon town.

She is a keen camogie player with Four Roads. Daughter of Diarmuid and Bernie Gately, Curraghboy, she is the eldest in her family, and has one brother, Donnchadh and a sister, Neasa.

Tang native Aisling Farrell is the Longford Rose. She lives with her mother Susan and younger siblings Fergus and Siobhan.

Aged 23, Aisling is studying medicine in University College Dublin (UCD), Aisling expects to complete her learning in 2015.

She’s currently on placement in the Mater and St Vincent’s in Dublin coming up from next week.

Liverpool rose Lisa O’Halloran (24) is the daughter of Peter and Linda, from Retreat Park.

She has lived in Liverpool since 2006 when she went to study at John Moores University, where she is currently studying a PhD in Sports Psychology after completing her primary degree and Masters at the same university.

Lisa has two older sisters, Louise and Emma, and one younger brother, Tom.

Miltownpass business woman Shauna Coyne will represent Westmeath in the regional final.

Ahead of the weekend festival, The General Manager of the Rose of Tralee International Festival, Oliver Hurley, said: “Each year over 1,000 young women participate in Rose of Tralee events worldwide and this year sees the biggest gathering of Roses at any one single event.

'The event significantly enhances the profile of the Rose of Tralee and it is a major stepping stone on each Rose’s journey to Tralee in August. The Regional Festival plays a key role in promoting and developing Portlaoise and County Laois as a key events centre in Ireland.”

Laois has been home to the Regional Festival of the Rose of Tralee since 2008 and this will continue for another three years from 2013 to 2015 thanks mainly to the support of Laois County Council and Laois Tourism with the support of Laois Partnership.

Throughout the June Bank Holiday weekend in Laois, the Roses will take part in three selection nights at the Portlaoise Heritage Hotel, enjoy an Irish music evening at the Maldron Hotel Portlaoise as well as a vintage Car Parade, funfair, street disco and a visit to the magnificent Castle Durrow.

Roses representing 29 counties in Ireland, 14 regions in the United States of America, Scotland and seven major cities in the United Kingdom, Melbourne, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Canada, Luxembourg, France and Germany will all take part in the Regional Festival.

23 Roses will go forward to the Rose of Tralee International Festival where they will be joined in August by Roses from Kerry, Cork, Dublin, Sydney, New Zealand, Darwin, Perth, Queensland and South Australia.

This year’s extended Rose of Tralee International Festival and Rose Gathering will take place from 14 to 20 August.

For details on how to book tickets for all Rose of Tralee events in Portlaoise and Tralee, visit www.roseoftralee.ie or contact the Festival Office on +353-66-7121322.