A hen, stag, wake and wedding — all in one

LIKE the Rubik’s Cube that took centre stage last night, the secret to the success of the Rose of Tralee is confusing and difficult to solve.

Once again Ireland tuned in in its hundreds of thousands to watch 31 young ladies give their five minute lowdown on life, love and jury duty as proud parents and screaming supporters looked on.

But the unmarried women, all under 28 years of age, weren’t competing for a record contract or the lead in a musical — as is usual in such competitions these days. The girls were battling it out for the Rose of Tralee crown, Newbridge silverware, a world trip and the use of a Volvo C30 car for a year.