Ryan on board for Rose festival

RISING RTÉ star Ryan Tubridy will compere the Rose of Tralee selection again this year, as part of a revamped festival.

Tubridy was one of the successes of last year, but he will be under pressure to breathe some life into the struggling event next August.

It looked as if the debt-ridden festival might not go ahead earlier this year, but five investors have each come up with €60,000 to pay €300,000 to creditors.

One of the five, Tralee-based corporate management consultant Anthony O’Gara, heads up the new management committee and, at the weekend, he pledged a ‘very good’ festival.

“There will be a major focus on street entertainment and in creating a carnival atmosphere. We’ll also have some big musical acts and are confident of coming up with a winning formula. We see it as a community festival backed by investors,” he said.

The main event will be preceded by a mini-festival, in July, to which 15 counties will send rose contestants. Eight of the girls will be chosen to go forward to the festival proper along with two other Irish representatives.

“Next year, we plan to have girls from each of the 32 counties, from whom possibly eight Irish representatives will be picked,” Mr O’Gara said.

“This is a very exciting plan, which we hope will create great interest all around the country and also raise funds for some worthy causes in each county.”

The festival has been run every year since 1959 and this year’s event will be on August 20-24 in the dome behind the Brandon Hotel.