Rose of Tralee parachutes into the festival

Rose of Tralee, Maria Walsh was presented with a red rose in mid-air 10,000 feet over Tralee Town earlier, during her first ever tandem skydive.

Maria became the first Rose of Tralee to parachute into the Town Park.

Her instructor, who dived with her, was wearing a tuxedo to mark the occasion.

While her skydive colleague Damien Cahill presented Maria with a red rose mid free-fall.

"I got a rose in freefall, dropped by an escort, and I'll tell you what, Tralee looked pretty sweet right now, the park, the dome, Fell's Point, and all those amazing attractions right here," she said.

"It’s pretty sweet to be landing as the International Rose of Tralee, we need to see this happen every year," she said.