Rose of Tralee in full bloom again

AFTER surviving a financial crisis that threatened its future, the Rose of Tralee Festival will go ahead in late August.

Festival managing director Anthony O’Gara promised yesterday the festival would be “entertaining, vibrant, interesting and very successful”.

“2004 is the beginning of restoring our festival to its rightful place as Ireland’s premier international festival,” he pledged.

The Rose selection programme will again be televised live by RTÉ, over two nights, with Ryan Tubridy as presenter.

The festival, with debts of €900,000, almost went out of business earlier this year, but was saved by a local business group after creditors agreed to accept a 30% payment as part of a €300,000 rescue package.

The festival will take place from Friday, August 20 to Tuesday, August 24 and 28 contestants will represent centres in Australia, Canada, Dubai, England, Luxembourg, Ireland and the US.

Main sponsor is Newbridge Silverware and the winning rose will be crowned with a spectacular tiara designed and created by the company. The perpetual trophy will also be provided by Newbridge Silverware.

Other core sponsors are Smart Telecom, Kerry Group plc, RTÉ, the National Lottery and The Irish Independent.

“Entertainment at this year’s festival will reflect our commitment to the family as our core market,” said Mr O’Gara. “We will feature a programme of entertainment on the streets that will restore the carnival atmosphere Tralee has been renowned for.

“The traditional parade of roses, on August 21, will be themed and choreographed with an abundance of colour and vitality,” he added.

Mr O’Gara said their strategy was to connect the global Irish community. A development plan for the next five years would see a significant increase in the number of Rose of Tralee centres around the world.

That expansion has been started by inviting 14 new centres in Ireland to participate in the inaugural regional Irish final, in Tralee, next weekend.

Roses from Carlow, Derry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Offaly, Sligo, Tipperary, Westmeath and Wicklow will participate and three will go forward to the finals.

Planning for an expansion drive in Britain, North America and Australia will begin in August.