High-pitched squeals and nervous laughter echo along the corridors of the Brandon Hotel in Tralee. Peeping surreptitiously into open bedrooms, I see gaggles of giggling girls. "Does my make-up look good enough for TV?" asks one as she applies one last slick of lipstick to her pink lips. "Where are my hairclips?" wonders another as she searches the room in a panic, her black curls falling about her pretty face. Suddenly, a girl in a blue dress shrieks. Oh no! She's broken the heel of her shoe. The other girls rush to the rescue. Is there anything they can do? What about another pair of shoes? A tall tuxedoed man (one of many who serve as escorts) saves what might have been a disastrous day. He fishes a tube of superglue from his bulging pockets. What a hero. Who are these pretty girls? Why are they so nervous? Who are the heroic men in tuxedos? And what are they all doing in Tralee? From August 18 to 22, thirty young women of Irish heritage from all over the world took part in the International Rose of Tralee Festival. It's one of Ireland's most unique and renowned festivals. This year, I went along to see what all the fuss was about. First, I met the Roses - girls from Ireland, the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Dubai and Luxembourg. I saw them being treated like princesses at the Rose Ball, adored like celebrities in the parade and turned into movie stars for their TV appearances. Throngs of children surrounded the Roses wherever they went, seeking autographs and taking pictures. Stylists and make-up artists helped them put together the many outfits they needed for each day's events. And finally - lights, camera, action - it was time for their moment of stardom on TV. Almost one million people tuned in to watch the Rose Selection live on RTE when one blushing Rose was chosen as the 2006 Rose of Tralee. Is the Rose of Tralee a beauty contest? According to everybody I've spoken with, it certainly is not. Well then, what is it? Aoibhnn N Shilleabháin ought to know. This young woman from County Mayo has just ended her reign as Rose of Tralee for 2005 and is sad to say goodbye to a wonderful year of her life. "I've had the most intense experiences and fantastic opportunities," she said. "I've learned so much about the Irish who live abroad and how much the Rose of Tralee means to them. There are so many Irish communities all over the world and they are all so vibrant in their own way. The Rose of Tralee brings them together. It's a way for them to connect. That makes it very special." Aoibhnn spent her year traveling to these Irish communities (making use of the €25,000 travel fund that is part of her prize) and strengthening the relations between them. She also had a brand-new car which she used to travel to events all over Ireland. And among the many other prizes were a range of Newbridge home ware, jewelry, a stunning silver tiara and a perpetual trophy. The Roses' duties are not set in stone, but she travels to lots of Irish centers abroad, promoting the festival and building on Irish links. She also does a lot of work for a charity of her choice. Impressive though these prizes may be, the participants in this year's Rose of Tralee claim that the event is more than a mere competition. The Roses who hail from outside Ireland regard the festival as a celebration of their links with the country of their ancestors. "It's a chance for me to show how proud I am of my Irish heritage," said Aislin Roche, the San Francisco Rose whose roots are in Counties Cork and Limerick. "It helps us to hold on to where we've come from and it keeps the ties to home alive," added Kathryn Feeney, the Queensland Rose and (sorry to spoil the surprise) eventual winner of the 2006 title. Meghan Dixon, the Southern Californian Rose from San Diego, was even more emphatic. "It's like we're one big Irish family spread out all over the world." Most of the girls heard about the festival through their families and friends. Not so for winner Kathryn Feeney. She had a unique introduction to the festival. "My mother works in a nursing home with nuns," she explained. "They get a videotaped copy of the Rose Selection sent to them every year and they always pass it on to my mother. So, you could say I've seen the sacred copies of the Rose of Tralee!" She has promised to bring a copy back for them this time. As well as giving people the chance to connect with the land of their ancestors, the Rose of Tralee Festival also presents people with a rare opportunity to learn more about their roots. Erin Barnard, the Texas Rose, came to Ireland with her grandfather Patrick and his brother Martin. "This was their first visit and they went in search of their family," she said. "They made a wonderful discovery. They found out their grandfather had a brother they didn't know about and now we've found lots of new relatives. It's all thanks to the Rose of Tralee." Kathryn Feeney's father Frank was also paying his first trip to Ireland. "It's been the best time of his life," she said. "He feels at home here. At a family reunion in Offaly, he met people that looked like him and instantly there was a connection." Southern Californian Rose Meghan Dixon experienced an emotional moment of her own. "On the trip from Killarney to Dingle, I caught my first glimpse of the Atlantic from the opposite side," she explained. "I felt so blessed to be here that I started to cry." This is what the Rose of Tralee is supposed to be about - bringing people home and exploring what it means to be Irish in the modern world. The festival has been held in Tralee since 1959. Its origins lie in the romantic tale of William Mulchinock and his true love Mary O'Connor. William was a merchant in the town in the 19th century and Mary was his maid. They fell in love but, because of the class difference between the two families, their love affair was discouraged. William emigrated. Years later, unable to forget Mary, he returned to Tralee only to discover she had died of tuberculosis while he was away. Grief-stricken, he expressed his love for her in the words of a song - "The Rose of Tralee." In this song, William describes his Rose of Tralee as a fair and lovely lady. He maintains that it was not her beauty alone that captured his heart. Mary had a "truth in her eyes ever-dawning"; she was a strong woman with an honest and sincere character. This song caught the imaginations of a group of budding entrepreneurs in 1950s Tralee. The town had suffered from mass emigration in the post-war years and they were eager to start an event that would bring life and enthusiasm back to Tralee. They decided to start a carnival and they chose the "Rose of Tralee" song as its theme. The main event of the carnival was the search for a queen - a young woman who embodied the qualities of Mary, the original Rose of Tralee. With the help of Kerry people living abroad, they chose Roses from London, Birmingham and New York as well as from Tralee and Dublin to compete. Ever since, the Rose of Tralee festival has grown and developed to become the internationally renowned festival of today. What has made it so successful? It may have a lot to do with an emigrant's nostalgia for the country of their ancestors but there is more to it than that. Seán Kelly, one of this year's judges and former president of the GAA, has his own thoughts on the matter "I think the competition has changed with the times. It represents modern Irish women from all over the world. Honest, sincere, confident women who can communicate with and relate to everyone from the man in the street to the man in the White House." Christine Frawley, the Philadelphia Rose, agrees. "The Rose of Tralee sends out an important message," she said. "It's not about beauty. It's about regular girls who are positive role models. We all represent Ireland in different ways. The Rose of Tralee gives us a chance to get together and strengthen our Irish bonds." And - as all the Roses would heartily agree - the festival is also about fun. Each of the 30 girls gets to live the life of a princess for a week. They wear beautiful clothes. A hairstylist and make-up artist are on hand at all times to make them look stunning. Crowds queue to ask for autographs. They have a handsome male chaperon to look after them. And finally, they get to appear on TV. "Tralee has opened its arms to us and given us an amazing welcome," said New York Rose Melissa Teelin, who was born in Dublin. "The parade has to be one of my highlights. The crowds who waited on the streets in the rain simply to see us parade past made me feel like a queen." Christine Frawley from Philadelphia was especially taken with the idea of having her own escort. "Ooh," she said in a cooing voice. "My escort is wonderful. He's great fun and a perfect gentleman. He looks after me so nicely." Her TV appearance was something the Boston Rose Caitlin Sullivan was really looking forward to when I spoke to her. "I've got a sparkly pink dress that I can't wait to wear. It's an opportunity to do something I've never done before," she said. Meghan Dixon couldn't pick any one highlight. "It's impossible to choose the best parts," she gushed. "Every little thing just makes it better. It's like having the best ice cream sundae in the world and then someone adds a cherry, some more chocolate, more and more and more than you could ever imagine." The world's best ice cream sundae, an opportunity to live the life of a princess, a chance to explore the history and heritage of Ireland; the International Rose of Tralee Festival means a great many things to many different people. In an Ireland that has changed so much in recent years, in a country whose population has spread to countries all over the world, it asks important questions. What does it mean to be Irish? Who are we today? Who were our ancestors yesterday? And who do we want to be in the world of tomorrow? But it's not all about serious philosophical questions. It's mostly about fun. Irish people from all over the world come together in Tralee to celebrate the bonds and relationships that link them to each other. "For me, the Rose of Tralee is about pride and respect," said Seán Kelly, after his first year as a judge. "It's about pride in who you are, pride in Ireland and respect for yourself and where you come from. It's something the world needs more of today. We have enough negative things to contend with and the Rose of Tralee is a breath of fresh air." That breath of fresh air blew through the lives of 30 Roses for five fun-filled days in Tralee, treating them to a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Most of them have now returned home. "I have to go back to work much as I'd love to stay here in Tralee," said Boston Rose Caitlin Sullivan wistfully. Some have added a few extra weeks to their trip. "I'm going to see my first All Ireland Final," said San Francisco's Aislin Roche with glee in her voice. 2005 Rose Aoibhnn N Shilleabháin is about to start a new phase in her life as a post-graduate student in London, after handing her tiara over to the reigning Rose, Kathryn Feeney. And Kathryn - shocked and absolutely thrilled - is finding her feet in her new role as Rose of Tralee 2006. "It's a dream come true," she says, "and not only for me but for my entire family, especially my granny Mary Josephine who is 91 years old. This is her win too." A family win at the Rose of Tralee - how appropriate.