Full bloom at Rose of Tralee: Dresses, dancing... and Dáithí

The new Rose of Tralee undoubtedly had the time of her life last night but there’s plenty more in store for the lovely lady this morning as her year in the spotlight truly begins to unfurl before her.

The winner, who was crowned last night after the second of two live shows, was showered with flowers and presents and attention following another widely watched production which showcased the remaining 14 Roses.

New York Rose Sophie Colgan was first up, wowing the audience in a black and gold dress by Dom O’Neill.

RTÉ Rose TV Show Selection Night 2 New York Rose Sophie Colgan #roseoftralee pic.twitter.com/BNvC7PGPkp

— Rose of Tralee (@RoseofTralee_) August 18, 2015

Galway Rose Olga Lee gave host Dáithí Ó Sé a run for his money when she tried to take over his presenting gig while South Carolina’s Shannon Kelahan-Pierson revealed she was a fifth- generation Irish dancing mermaid, much to the crowd’s surprise.

RTÉ Rose TV Show Selection Night 2 Galway Rose Olga Lee #roseoftralee pic.twitter.com/O8Yadka7BI

— Rose of Tralee (@RoseofTralee_) August 18, 2015

Toronto Rose Erika Healy had a somewhat unique talent, choosing to skip the night away, breathless but beautiful in a hitched-up black and champagne sequined dress, her Kerry GAA socks showing.

The 27-year-old also had a surprise for former Rose of Tralee Therese Gillespie when she produced a programme from her winning year of 1965.

RTÉ Rose TV Show Selection Night 2 Toronto Rose Erika Healy #roseoftralee pic.twitter.com/PmQrY9EtWE

— Rose of Tralee (@RoseofTralee_) August 18, 2015

Dublin Rose Aisling Finnegan came on, all in white, and put the fire under her boyfriend when she said it could also double-up as a wedding dress.

“It’s only been a year, dim your lights a small bit,” said Dáithí. “You can see the beads of sweat coming off him.”

But the beads of sweat were coming off the host himself a few minutes later when Aisling showcased her pilates-teaching skills, getting the presenter down on his hands and knees before her.

Other highlights included impressive vocals from Texas Rose Siobhan Thompson and Louth Rose Jenny Hanlon, who was notoriously left out to dry on Monday night after her crush on a fellow Rose’s brother was revealed.

A birthday surprise was unveiled for selfie-taking Scotland Rose Brid Madigan, while another surprise was unveiled for Germany Rose Roisin Ni Mhathuna. The 22-year-old, born in the UK and raised in Dublin, received a special message from Aston Villa player Leandro Bacuna and was presented with the FA Cup.

Dáithí said he was “extremely pleased” with how the festival has gone this year. “When you put so much work into something and then to see it all go off well, we were absolutely delighted. All the kind of gags and the stunts worked. And the audience were in great form, they’re always up for anything. It’s almost expected now for us to have a bit of craic,” he said.

“It’s an entertainment show so we try to make it as entertaining as possible, that’s always the aim.”

The festival as a whole has gone well, Dáithí said, and the town has “had a buzz about it” the last few days. “You can really feel the festival this year, more than any other year.”

READ MORE: Elysha reigns after touching hearts in Rose of Tralee

READ MORE: Rose of Tralee: Shane has the right stuff to be Escort of Year