The Rose of Tralee International Festival kicked off today as 64 Roses gathered in Dublin to begin a celebration of Ireland and Irish womanhood.
The Festival was founded in 1959 in the Kerry town that bears its name and is dedicated to finding a “lovely and fair” woman like that in the song, ‘Rose of Tralee’.
Although sometimes mocked as a ‘lovely girls’ competition (a reference to a skit competition held on the Irish comedy series “Father Ted”), it remains as popular as ever.
Host Dáithí Ó Sé is back for his eighth year in charge of the competition and choppered over to Malahide Castle in a helicopter the same shade of red as the dresses on the women he was there to meet.
Read more: Ten things you never knew about the Rose of Tralee (PHOTOS)
Rose of Tralee Festival 2017 host Daithí Ó Sé arrives in his Rose-colored helicopter. Image: RollingNews.ie.
"One of the things I really enjoy every year is meeting them all and then seeing how they get on on-stage. My main job is to make sure that all the Roses feel safe and secure there and that I'm a friendly face when they walk out," he told the Irish Independent.
The current bookie's favorites are Dublin Rose Maria Coughlan and Sydney Rose Aisling Walsh at 3/1 each.
Last year’s winner was Chicago Rose Maggie McEldowney, although much more of the nation’s attention was focused on Sydney Rose Brianna Parkins’ call for Ireland to repeal the 8th amendment which bans abortion.
In 2014, traditionalists were shocked when the Philadelphia Rose and winner, Maria Walsh, came out as a lesbian.
This year, the festival initially said that trans women were not welcome to participate but quickly flip flopped after public outrage.
Dome Volunteers hard at work getting ready for the Roses and our first Dome event on Thursday ??#RoseofTralee https://t.co/b8l9Mj27xy pic.twitter.com/Yt6nrvBejC
— Rose of Tralee (@RoseofTralee_) August 15, 2017
The festival will be broadcast on RTÉ next week on August 21 and 22 and can be viewed on RTÉ Player afterward.
It's #RoseOfTralee time and here are our 64 #Roses ? #rot17 pic.twitter.com/gfGK2bCOyK
— Ballyseede Castle (@BallyseedeCastl) August 16, 2017
The full list of participants is as follows:
Abu Dhabi Rose - Niamh Kelly
Arizona Rose - Lauren Koll
Armagh Rose - Nicole McKeown
Boston & New England Rose - Orlaith Roche
Carlow Rose - Ciara Dooley
Cavan Rose - Paula McPartland
Chicago Rose - Teresa Daly
Clare Rose - Aoife Murray
Cork Rose - Aishling O'Connor
Darwin Rose - Rochelle Blake
Derby Rose - Sarah Kelly
Derry Rose - Sarah Colhoun
Donegal Rose - Amy Callaghan
Down Rose - Orlagh McNally
Dubai Rose - Lisa O'Donohue
Dublin Rose - Maria Coughlan
Fermanagh Rose - Stephanie Maguire
Florida Rose - Elizabeth Marince
Galway Rose - Niamh Elwood
Germany Rose - Áine Sullivan
Kentucky Rose - Martha Mortell
Kerry Rose - Breda O’Mahony
Kildare Rose - Deirbhle Mulvihill
Kilkenny Rose - Tara Roche
Hong Kong Rose - Clarissa Langley Coleman
Laois Rose - Maeve Dunne
Leitrim Rose - Erin Moran
Limerick Rose - Kayleigh Maher
London Rose - Caoimhe Gallagher
Longford Rose - Laura Ward
Louth Rose - Aoife Heffron
Mayo Rose - Sandra Ganley
Meath Rose - Anne Lynam
Melbourne Rose - Sinéad Ryan
Monaghan Rose - Maria Murnaghan
New York Rose - Sinéad Kirnan
New Zealand Rose - Niamh O'Sullivan
Newcastle/Gateshead Rose - Laoise O'Shaughnessy
Newfoundland & Labrador Rose - Katie Hanlon-Wadman
North Carolina Rose - Rebecca Phipps
Offaly Rose - Jennifer Byrne
Ohio Rose - Meghan Adams
Ottawa Rose - Vanessa Foran
Perth Rose - Kerrie-Ann Barnes
Philadelphia Rose - Tara Grandich
Queensland Rose - Ellen McCready
Roscommon Rose - Deirdre Cribbin
San Francisco Rose - Amanda Donohoe
Sligo Rose - Lisa Maloney
South Carolina Rose - Ellerslie McCue
Southern California Rose - Claire McManamon
South Australia Rose - Aoife Wright
Sydney Rose - Aisling Walsh
Texas Rose - Lydian Lawler Lopez
Tipperary Rose - Sheila Ryan
Toronto Rose - Colombe Nadeau-O'Shea
Tyrone Rose - Niamh McElduff
Washington D.C. Rose - Sarah Robertson
Waterford Rose - Chloe McGrath
Western Canada Rose - Sinéad McGahern
Westmeath Rose - Eva Cooney
Wexford Rose - Julie Sinnott
Wicklow Rose - Abby McKenna
Southern California Rose - Claire McManamon
Yorkshire Rose - Aisling McArdle
Will you be watching the Rose of Tralee? Let us know your thoughts on the festival in the comments section.
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