Down Rose claims Roses were ‘manipulated, bullied and mistreated’

In a Facebook post, Fainche McCormack alleged that “cameras intrusively followed us all week and asked inappropriate probing questions” with one girl being asked what colour underwear she was wearing right before she went on stage.

The 2016 Down Rose has hit out at the Rose of Tralee festival, saying she did “not sign up for a cheap reality television show in which our emotions would be manipulated for entertainment purposes”.

Writing on the festival’s Facebook page, Fainche McCormack from Newry said the Roses “were manipulated, bullied and mistreated”.