Race is on for best Rose of the bunch

SNAKES on stage, a fist in the gob, and the return of Gaybo – the Rose of Tralee celebrates half a century next week and promises to celebrate the milestone in style.

A bunch of Roses were on display at RTÉ in Donnybrook yesterday ahead of this year’s festival, which will be hosted for the fifth year in succession by Ray D’Arcy.

For the first time, 50 Roses from various corners of the world are in contention, although this number will be whittled down to 32 by the time the contestants appear before the TV cameras on Tuesday night.

Roses from British centres and the newer centres will be chosen on Irish soil for the first time, whereas normally the regional finals take place in early summer back at home.

It’s not the only novel twist to the event, which this year is sponsored by the Irish Examiner.

Toronto Rose Sarah Sullivan said she will have a live snake on stage for her party piece. The Environmental Studies student has a four-foot Royal python for a pet and said: “I just thought it would be better to do something that I feel really comfortable doing.”

Whether Ray will feel the same way is another question, as he said he would handle the situation “with caution”, but he admitted that he will have other reason to be nervous, what with Gay Byrne back in the audience to celebrate the golden anniversary of the festival he hosted for so many years.

The Today FM presenter joked that it might be a better idea for Uncle Gay to have a tent off to the side somewhere, as his presence in the front row might be a little off-putting.

“That adds a little bit of pressure,” he said.

“I’ve been dropping hints in a subtle kind of way,” he joked. “You’d just be looking at him for approval.”

As for the talents of some of the other Roses, he revealed: “There is one Rose – I’d better not say who it is – but she can put her whole fist in her mouth.”

Bookmakers have already installed Kerry Rose Karen McGillycuddy as the favourite, although she said she took that title “with a pinch of salt”.

Contestants likely to appear on TV include Cork Rose Amy Moran from Waterfall, who pledged to represent all the women of Ireland who are not supermodels, and French Rose Melodie O’Neill, a cousin of late Tyrone Gaelic footballer Cormac McAnallen, who said she hoped her appearance would help raise awareness of Sudden Adult Death Syndrome.