Love blooms at Rose of Tralee as Ó Sé gets friendly with a fish

Fretting fiancés, kissing cods, Father Ted references, and one “very cranky bear” can mean only one thing — the Rose of Tralee is back in town.

And this time it’s celebrating a wedding.

In a move that put most husbands to shame — and left more than a few wondering how he found the guts to do it — Kyle Catlett, the boyfriend of New Orleans Rose Molly Molloy Gambel, last night stole the show by proposing to his very own Mary O’Connor.

While he is happily married, host Dáithí Ó Sé may feel slightly short-changed by his own onstage love-in last night, as the Kerryman’s on-air romantic notions were limited to puckering up to a fish.

Newfoundland and Labrador Rose Erica Halfyard invited Dáithí to take part in the “screech in” introduction to life of the Canadian region.

The shot of rum was fine. But despite Dáithí’s infamous love of hake, the rule about kissing the a cod on the lips may have taken the affection too far. And let’s all try to be adults about the official welcome phrase involved: “Are ye a screecher?” “Deed I is, me ol‘ cock! And long may yer big jib draw.” Indeed.

As ever, this year’s Rose of Tralee festivities included a mixture of poems, songs, and dancing. While Leitrim Rose Edwina Guckian’s barrel and bush dance, Longford Rose Aisling Farrell’s rendition of a Beethoven classic, and Philadelphia’s Brittany Killion’s version of ‘The Little Mermaid’ caught eyes and ears, the more tongue-in-cheek musical references received just as much interest.

In a self-deprecating joke referencing the Father Ted “lovely girls” sketch about the festival, Clare Rose Marie Donnellan opened the show with a short video diary of her life backed up by the comedy series’ well-loved theme tune.

Ottawa Rose Keira Kilmartin admitted she may be partially responsible for inflicting Justin Bieber on the world after cheering him on before he was famous.

And the presenter himself? He was happy to quell speculation by telling viewers the Garda Band conductor Pat Kenny “has resisted all offers from Newstalk”.

After squeezing so much into a couple of hours, Dáithí deserved a lie down. Darwin Rose Bridget Haines duly obliged by telling the big kid the ‘Very Angry Bear’ bedtime story, complete with the presenter’s very own child’s cot.

Let’s hope it helped him get some sleep. When the second part of the festival kicks off tonight he’ll be doing it all again.