Field of roses narrows as festival in full bloom

It’s a feat that came in very useful to east Berliners defecting to the West — being concealed in suitcases — and Limerick Rose Kayleigh Maher has discovered she, too, can fit into her enormous suitcase in the unlikely event of her requiring an escape route from Tralee, Co Kerry.

The 24-year-old teacher of English was one of 16 Roses who made it through to the live TV interviews on Monday and Tuesday nights, the first woman representing Limerick to make it this far in a decade.

The remaining 48 Roses will learn today, privately, if they’ve made the final cut but all were feted equally at the Rose Ball in The Dome last night.