Families and friends fly in to support Rose of Tralee contestants
Tralee Parents Teevan Meadowlands Of At Michael Thérèse Cooper Cooper's Proud Hotel, Neil Tralee Base And Picture: Pat The York New Rose The Rose At Billie
A researcher with Nasa, an attorney working in downtown Chicago, and a radiologist at the National Children’s Hospital Temple Street are among this year’s Rose of Tralee contestants.
All 32 roses aged between 20 and 29 will compete for the coveted Rose of Tralee title in two selection nights to be televised live on RTÉ.
One half will take part in proceedings on Monday night, followed by the other 16 on Tuesday night.
Groups of up to 200 people have flown into Tralee from all over the world to support their respective roses including New York Rose Billie Cooper, who will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of 2023 Rose of Tralee, New Yorker Róisín Wiley.
Ann Marie Mulholland, who helps run the New York Rose Centre with executive director Unateresa Gormley, said: “The Rose of Tralee is an incredible opportunity for young women to showcase their talents and their passions and their charity endeavours.
“It is also to make the world aware that women are not just meant to be wives.
“The roses now are doctors, and lawyers, for example, also everybody is just so proud to be Irish.”
This year’s New York Rose, whose father Pat Cooper is from Glounthaune in Cork, and whose mother Thérèse Teevan is from Killeshandra, Co Cavan, is one of two twins taking part.
The other twin taking part is Sydney Rose Ashling Heneghan, from Westport, Co Mayo.
Her sheep farmer father Frances Heneghan and her mother Stephanie are among a large group from various parts of the world who have flown in to support her.
“This is a lovely and proud time for us.” Frances told the Irish Examiner.
Also among the group was Ashling’s aunt, Margret McGrath, who flew in from north Wales with her daughter Rhian.
Asked if she had not fancied taking part herself, Ashling’s twin sister Stephanie — who is a teacher based in Dubai — laughed and said: “No. Not this time. We’ll give Ashling the glam day.
“She’s good at her hair, her makeup.”
Asked if she might do it next year, she added: “Maybe, we’ll see.”
Her sister moved to Sydney, where the Trinity College Dublin graduate works as a speech therapist, just over a year ago.
Billie Cooper’s parents left Ireland for the US in the 1990s but they always kept a home in her mother’s native Cavan.
Thérèse said: “We always went home for holidays, and Billie did Irish dancing and singing. Her Irish heritage has always been important to her.”
While around 35 members of Thérèse’s family will be coming from Cavan for the contest, around 10 of Pat’s family in Limerick and Cork will also be attending.
More than a million viewers are expected to tune into RTÉ on Monday and Tuesday to watch the contest.
The four-person judging panel is chaired by Co Mayo native and 1998 Rose of Tralee, Luzveminda O’Sullivan.
Her colleagues will be weather presenter Nuala Carey, Galway Bay FM head of sport Ollie Turner, and Kerry native and fashion designer Don O’Neill.
Both selection nights will be hosted on RTÉ by Dáithí Ó Sé and Kathryn Thomas at the Kerry Sports Academy in the Munster Technological University in Tralee.
Up to around 200,000 people are expected to hit the north Kerry town over the duration of the festival, which formally kicked off on Friday.
Around 1,200 will attend Monday night’s selection, and around 1,400 will attend on Tuesday night.
It is expected that direct spend in the town and surrounding areas will be in the region of at least €10m.