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Rose of Tralee Festival
Tralee, Co. Kerry, August
Background
Kerry’s annual Rose of Tralee Festival has its roots in the traditional love song ‘The Rose of Tralee’, written by William Mulchinock about his love for his maid. The modern festival developed as an offshoot of Tralee’s Carnival Queen event. The first Rose of Tralee Festival was held in 1959 with participants from Tralee, London, Birmingham and New York competing for the title of Rose of Tralee.
The festival prides itself on its rose selection process. Rather than the usual beauty pageant criteria, heavy emphasis is placed on charm, wit and pleasant personality traits. Guided by the lyrics of William Mulchinock, judges look for a contestant who shows “truth in her eyes” in terms of ambitions, intellect, social responsibility and Irish heritage.
The festival has blossomed greatly since its humble beginnings in 1959. Today the five-day festival draws contestants from all over the world and is televised live on Ireland’s national broadcaster RTÉ, annually.
Venue
The opening event of the festival, the Gala Rose Ball is due to take place in the Festival Dome, which is situated next to the city’s Fel’s Point Hotel. Over 900 guests are accommodated on the night. The Newbridge Silverware Fashion Show event in the city is another major draw. The main event, the televised Rose of Tralee contest, takes place in the city’s Festival Dome and is usually hosted by well-known Irish radio and television presenters. Past hosts of the competition have included Ray D’arcy, Marty Whelan, Gay Byrne and Derek Davis.
Street parades are another fixture of the festival, the most important of which take place through the town, just before the competition. The winner of the competition is also unveiled to the town just after the competition in a colourful parade and fireworks extravaganza. Tickets for the events can be booked online at the official festival website. Tickets for the Regional Rose Ball are priced €60, while Regional Selection Night tickets cost €25.
Getting There
The Rose of Tralee Festival is easily accessed by road. If driving, follow the N7 south from Dublin. Take the N21 or N6 from Limerick, the N22 from Cork and the N25from Rosslare.
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