Touching tributes, dancing Dáithí and more: Six things we learned from the Rose of Tralee
Texas Rose Eden Kasprak with Dáithí Ó Sé. Pictures: Dominick Walsh
We have to start with the main moment – the crowning (if we can still call it that without the traditional tiara) of our 2023 Rose of Tralee.
After 32 Roses graced the stage over two nights, New York Rose Róisín Wiley was officially named as this year’s Rose of Tralee.
Born and raised in New York, both of her parents come from Limerick. When her name was called on the night, the 27-year-old said: “I'm speechless. I'm so thankful and I'm so excited to represent my class and I hope I do them all justice.
“Growing up as an Irish-American in New York, I'm so proud to represent Ireland in New York and to stand as a formal figure now I'm so, so honoured.” It marked the fifth time a New York Rose was selected as the International Rose of Tralee. Dublin and New York are now tied with having the same number of winning Roses.
This year was the first time that the show was hosted by joint presenters. Co-hosts and friends Kathryn Thomas and Dáithí Ó Sé managed to poke some fun at one another over the course of the two nights and the extra pair of hands meant there were even more surprises and shenanigans.
Speaking after Monday night’s show, Ó Sé said that they knew that the new format would work well.
“We know each other for a long time, and I suppose that showed. Funnily enough, it was a busier show than doing a show on your own,” he said.
One of the stand-out moments from Tuesday night’s show was Kathryn Thomas’ moving interview with Clare Rose, Aisling O’Connor. The Feakle native spoke about the tough time she and her five brothers had after losing their father Pat in a tragic accident in 2018, and their mother Denise to cancer in 2021.
The 25-year-old said her local community has supported her through it all, including paying for electricity bills and leaving them dinners.
A fridge had even been strapped to a gate post at the end of their lane as the community rallied to make sure the family was looked after, while also respecting their need for space during such a difficult time.
The story brought Thomas to tears – as well as many of those watching at home and in the audience.
On Monday night, host Dáithí Ó Sé showed us that he might have a future as a firefighter but during Tuesday night’s show, Texas Rose Eden Kasprak tested his line-dancing skills.
Dressed like the Texas flag, Ó Sé managed to give it a good go as he danced along to Boot Scootin' Boogie and even managed to get the audience moving too.
Monday night’s show brought us a surprise message from the Boston-New England Rose’s granny Rosaleen and on Tuesday, the love for Irish nanas continued.
Washington DC Rose Siobhán Spiak had the entire audience sing Happy Birthday to her granny while Kathryn Thomas surprised her with a cake.
Later in the show, South Australia Rose Charlotte Burton dedicated an emotional rendition of I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen, which she dedicated to her granny Kathleen who has dementia.
As the Rose sang, a picture of her granny appeared on screen and her parents were seen comforting one another in the audience during the poignant tribute.
The Rose of Tralee always gives us a good mix of the strange and the serious, but Longford Rose Grace Kemple taught the audience a life-saving skill for her party piece.
The nurse demonstrated how to do infant CPR and how it can be performed to the beat of Michael Jackson’s Smooth Criminal. With the help of a doll and her assistant Kathryn Thomas, the 23-year-old showed the audience and viewers at home how to perform CPR on a baby.
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