Televised Rose of Tralee continues to bloom

THREE-QUARTERS of a million people tuned in to watch the last night of the Rose of Tralee selection, making it one of the most popular programmes of the year.

The figures are equal to last year with 600,000 people also watching on Monday night.

The large numbers watching the event on Tuesday night equalled the viewing figures for the Roy Keane interview with Tommy Gorman last June. More watched the announcement of the winning Rose than each of the group matches Ireland played at the World Cup.

But while Italy may have made an early exit from football’s world stage one of their countrywomen, Tamara Gervasoni, was celebrating a win of her own yesterday and looking forward to beginning her first day in the job as Rose of Tralee.

“I can’t wait, I’m going to enjoy every minute of it and do the best I can in everything that I do. I love meeting people and talking to them. It makes me feel great,” she said.

The 22-year-old, who hails from Milan, first came to Tralee two years ago, but she only had time to sip a cup tea.

“I was just passing through but I loved the place and I knew I’d have to come back for another cup,” she said.

Moving from place to place is nothing new to Tamara who has lived in Russia, Africa, Italy, Spain, Iran, Iraq and moved house 42 times.

The bubbly Italian can speak six languages including Spanish, French, Russian, Greek, and English, and now wants to learn to try her hand at learning Irish.

Firstly though, Tamara, who is a cousin of the late writer Samuel Beckett and the granddaughter of a Russian Countess, wants to find a job.

“I must get a job. I love working it makes me feel alive. I think I’ll go to Dublin and try and find one there,” she said.

It’s only by chance she made it to Tralee at all. Her mother Marjorie Magan, from Kilashee in Longford, was set to join the medical missionary nuns in Biafra when she met Russian Italian Andy Gervasoni.

Tamara is probably the first Rose to win the competition without performing on stage. She had planned to sing but her voice became hoarse after speaking to so many people over the weekend. “I did nothing apart from leaving Marty without words, the poor guy,” she said.

She has left more than Marty speechless with her performance at the festival.