Volume 4, Issue 2

Newsletter July 2009

ROSE OF TRALEE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL: FRIDAY 21ST TO WEDNESDAY 26TH AUGUST 2009

MESSAGE FROM ANTHONY O’GARA

With new Roses in Ireland and around the world being selected every week, it really feels like our 50th cele- brations are well under way. The final pieces of the jigsaw are being put into place and we have much to shout about as we celebrate 50 Years of the Rose of Tralee International Festival. Not only will 50 International Roses and 50 Escorts be joining us in Tralee, but also 50 Rosebuds—our Roses of the future—and nearly all 50 of our Roses of Tralee, from 1959’s Alice O’Sullivan to 2008’s Aoife Kelly. An exciting line-up of entertainment in- cludes Tommy Flemming, Sharon Shannon, The Saw Doctors, Shane McGowan, the International Rose Ball, Fashion Show, and of course Rose Selection Nights, which continue to be one of the nation’s most watched TV programmes. My thanks go to all those who are continuing to make this incredible event possible, particularly

our sponsors: Newbridge Silverware, RTÉ, Shannon Development, Carlton Hotels, Fáilte Ireland, Topaz, Eventus, National Lot- tery, The Irish Examiner and Fels Point Hotel. Our Rose Centres around the world deserve a special mention for all their hard work in organising local Selections that bring these special young Irish women to Tralee. During Festival week we are fortunate to have a huge support network of volunteers who give up their time to work behind the scenes to make the Festival happen. My thanks go to them and the team in Tralee who organise all our Festival events throughout the year. I hope this Newsletter finds you well, and I look forward to seeing you all — friends, families and supporters - in Tralee this August.

HELLO FROM AOIFE

Warm greetings to all. Being the International Rose of Tralee has been the most exciting time of my life, filled with great people, travel and ambassadorial duties, and I am ever grateful for being chosen to represent the Festival this past year. I have worked with many charities, both nationally and internationally, including my nominated charities the Irish Wheelchair Association and Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO). Charity involvement is such a huge part of being the Rose of Tralee, as it gives you a professional platform on which to stand, to raise the awareness of so much good work that is done and often goes unrecognised. I had the opportunity to visit the ever beautiful South Africa for a month, where I finally got to meet my in-laws to be, and also did some aware- ness raising for the Niall Melon Township Trust. I was at the Dubai Rose Selection, and had a wonderful two weeks of 46 degrees, yachting, touring and SAND! From there we returned to celebrate the Regional Rose of Tralee final in Portlaoise and the day after I had the pleasure of running the Ladies Mini Marathon in Dublin for Chernobyl Children's International Project. Currently Leon and I are in Australia after camping and climbing gla- ciers in New Zealand. The wonderful thing is that I have been engaged in Rose duties almost every day of every week since August and it has enabled me to meet the nicest of people and enjoy the most amazing experiences. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who keep this wonderful festival alive, and everyone who has made the year all that it has been. I look forward to seeing you in Tralee for what promises to be an absolutely magical and truly unfor- gettable experience Your 2008 International Rose of Tralee, Aoife Kelly

IRISH REGIONAL FINAL 2009

Congratulations to all Irish Roses who took part in this year’s Irish Regional Final at the Portlao- ise Heritage Hotel, which saw 29 Roses inter- viewed on stage by Ray D’Arcy over two nights of Selection. The six Roses who were chosen to go through to the International Festival are (pictured with Ray): Lisa McClelland (Armagh), Sinead Cunningham (Sligo), Stephanie O’Dwyer (Kilkenny), Tara Cunningham (Cavan), Orna Middleton (Waterford) and Denise Shouldice (Tipperary). The weekend was packed full of entertainment and events, including a vintage car parade with the Roses organised by Laois County Council, followed by a Civic Reception where the Roses were joined by the Portlaoise Rosebuds, lucky little girls from local schools who were buddied with the Roses for the week- end. They were entertained by Republic of Loose and The Blizzards live in concert at the Heritage Hotel, as well as receiving valuable advice and good luck wishes from Rose of Tralee Aoife Kelly. They were put through their paces by the Judges in individual and group judging, in addition to informal conversation during various events held over the three-day Festival. All six Roses will join the Cork, Dublin and Kerry Roses to make 9 Irish Roses represented at the International Festival.

JULY 2009 NEWSLETTER

50 YEAR CELEBRATIONS TO BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST YET

This year’s Festival takes on a special meaning as we look back over 50 years of Festival, held every year in Tralee since 1959. Since then, around 1,500 Roses from Ireland and around the world have visited Tralee with hopes of becoming the Rose, and all have returned to their communities with fond memories of their unique experiences and the special welcome they received not only in Tralee but throughout Ireland.

Many people associated with the Festival over the years have come together to make distinctive contributions to this historical event. A book on the history of Festival is being written by Irish Examiner columnist Ryle Dwyer, RTÉ have commissioned a documentary charting special moments in the Festival’s history to be shown on national TV on Monday 24th August, Kerry County Library are holding a special 50 Year Celebration Exhibition of unique memorabilia, photographs and film, and the In- ternational Festival is mounting the exhibition ‘50 Years of Fashion’ —a look back at the dresses worn by the Roses of Tralee on the night they won, kindly loaned by the Roses of Tralee themselves. In addition, nearly all of the winning Roses of Tralee from 1959 to 2009 (whomever she may be!) will be present in Tralee in what will be an historic and unprecedented gathering.

Tickets for a week of Festival entertainment in the Topaz Dome are now on sale for The Rose Ball on Friday 21st August, Tommy Fleming on Saturday 23rd August, a showcase of local music for all the family with Kerry’s Got Talent on the after- noon of Saturday 23rd August, the Irish Examiner Autumn Winter Fashion Show 2009 on Sunday 24th August, never on stage together before Sharon Shannon, The Saw Doctors, Shane McGowan, Damien Dempsey and Dessie O’Halloran on Monday 25th August, TV Rose Selection Nights on Tuesday 25th and Wednesday 26th August, Eoghan Quigg, Booty Luv and Industry all in one night for teenagers on Friday 18th August, and DJ Eddie Halliwell on Saturday 29th August.

Family entertainment, food and craft markets, clowns, face-painting, a week long art exhibition by local artists and live bands will continue throughout Festival week on the streets of Tralee. The Saturday night Rose parade will be the biggest ever, fea- turing all 50 International Roses and the Roses of Tralee. All parades (on Saturday night, Sunday afternoon and Midnight Mad- ness on Wednesday night) will feature marching bands from Germany and the US, specially commissioned commemorative pa- rade floats, clowns, stilt walkers, magicians and puppets. Spectacular firework displays specially designed to mark the occa- sion will light up Tralee sky on Saturday and Wednesday nights from the Town Park and from the top of Ashe Memorial Hall, which will be lit with a unique commemorative Rose feature to be unveiled at the start of the Festival. In addition National Lottery will be holding their Millionaire Raffle Draw in Denny Street live on RTÉ 1 on Wednesday evening.

TOBY WORLD ROSEBUDS

50 little girls from all over Kerry are the first ever Rosebuds to take part in the Rose of Tralee International Festival. An in- credible 1,500 Rosebud applications were received by Toby World, who are sponsoring the event. The 50 children were in- troduced to a packed audience at a special Rosebud Gala Eve- ning in Fels Point Hotel. Local celebrity chef Lee Bradshaw was the host for the evening and he interviewed each of the girls on stage in a format similar to RTÉ’s TV Rose Selection. The Rose- bud initiative will see the 50 girls accompanying the 50 Interna- tional Roses on some of their Rose duties during Festival week. Each of the Rosebuds has her own Rose sash with her name alongside where her International Rose buddy is from.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Telephone: +353 (0) 66 7121322 Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Fax: +353 (0) 66 712 2654 Web: www.roseoftralee.ie Address: Rose of Tralee International Festival Office, Ashe Memorial Hall, Denny Street, Tralee, Co Kerry, Ireland

YOUR NEWS This newsletter is for you and should include your news. If you are a Centre and have any updates on your Roses, or if you are a Rose and want to let us know how you are, please either email or phone the office for inclusion in the next Newsletter.

Irish Regional Roses in Portlaoise during the County Council’s Civic Reception in honour of the Roses and their Rosesbuds, and dancing in the square after the ceremony

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