Hollywood glamour for Roses of Tralee show

THIS year’s bunch of Roses are truly blossoming in Tralee, having won over the townsfolk as well as the judges with glamour, beauty and brains in equal measure.

After a weekend packed with interviews with the judges, public appearances and the all-important Rose Ball, the 31 contestants face the tough test before the television cameras tonight and tomorrow night&.

Liverpool Rose Grace Kelly, who turned 24 on Saturday, is hotly tipped by the betting public for the crown but says she won’t get carried away — yet.

“People are betting on my name because it stands out,” said the Co Down-born teacher.

“They ask me why I’m called it, but I think my parents just had a great sense of humour.”

Like many Roses, Grace has brought family and friends from both sides of the Irish Sea to Tralee for the five-day festival.

But no-one has brought family and friends further than New Zealand Rose Sarah Dwyer. For the 27-year-old has flown 19,000km from Christchurch, where she is learning how to speak “as gaeilge”.

“Ireland is an important chapter in New Zealand history and how our nation came to be what it is,” she said.

London Rose Katie Crean, 21, feels the contest is more important than ever to modern Ireland.

“Miss World is degrading, but this is good entertainment for young and old and brings communities together across the world.

“All the girls are so wonderful, intelligent and representative of modern women,” she said.

Katie had to overcome tough competition from 31 other would-be Roses when chosen as the London Rose earlier this year, showing how seriously the Irish abroad view the competition.

Co Kerry mum Kay Fitzgerald knows how important the Rose of Tralee competition is to her three children, Ciara, 5, Luke, 8, and Megan, 12.

“They want to get all the Roses’ autographs because it makes it more personal and interesting when they watch it on television,” she said.

Little Ciara had even gone to the trouble of dressing up in a ballgown so she could meet her heroine in style at Tralee’s Abbeygate Hotel on Sunday.

“They’ll be staying up late and it’ll be a treat for them,” said Ms Fitzgerald, of nearby Currans in Farranfore.

Today and tomorrow the Roses will be wooing the public one last time before their attention turns to the two nights of televised coverage on RTÉ.

Last night, compere Ray D’Arcy revealed viewers can expect to see a set inspired by Hollywood glamour of the musicals of yesteryear.

“To me it looks likes something out of one those big production musicals that we used to watch with our mother when we were kids,” he said.