Rose of Tralee ‘not made for modern political beliefs’ says winner
Maggie McEldowney’s comments, issued through the festival’s communications manager, come after a week of controversy in which one Rose claimed to have been “manipulated, bullied, and mistreated” in the course of filming Road to the Dome, a documentary broadcast by RTÉ immediately before the Rose of Tralee, at the end of which half of the Roses were dumped out of the competition on camera.
Down Rose Fainche McCormack equated the documentary to a “cheap reality television show” and Syndey Rose Brianna Parkins said she was angry going on stage, having “spent months defending the festival” as “an event that respects and celebrates women”. Ms Parkins, a journalist in Australia, provoked a strong reaction when she said on stage that she would love to see a referendum on repealing the 8th amendment, which guarantees equal right to life to mother and unborn baby.
