The 2016 Cork Rose, Denise Collins, pictured with Aoife Murphy who won the title last year.
Cork Rose Denise Collins, who is a teacher at Davis College in Mallow, is rallying her supporters to join her in the Dome on Thursday 18th August at the Rose of Tralee International Festival. She will be among 65 Roses from all over the world at this year’s extended Festival which will include parades, funfair, circus, 70 hours of free and affordable entertainment, Fashion Show and fireworks displays.
Denise, 26, a Maths and Science teacher from Knocknagree on the Cork/Kerry border, said: “I’m from a family of seven, four of whom support Cork and three support Kerry. Most Munster Finals in my house are very entertaining. My mother Margaret is a nurse in Millstreet and my father Pat has an architectural office in Killarney. I’m 26 and have three sisters and one brother. I attended Hollymount Primary School on the Cork side of the border and Scoil Phobail Sliabh Luachra, Rathmore, on the Kerry side of the border.”
Prior to arriving in Tralee, Denise will embark on a five day tour, taking in some of Ireland’s top tourism landmarks such as Guinness Storehouse, Irish National Stud and Japanese Gardens, the K Club and Kilmainham Gaol. When the Roses arrive in the Kingdom of Kerry, they will sample some of the most famous scenery and tourist attractions in the world. She’ll have plenty of company on the bus as a number of Roses have connections to the Rebel County, as the Boston and New England Rose Grace Schiller, Derby Rose Kara Foley, London Rose Emma Murphy-O’Connor, Newfoundland, and Labrador Rose Anna Murphy, Southern California Rose Clara Murphy, and Texas Rose Katherine O’Sullivan all have family links to County Cork.
The format for this year’s Rose of Tralee International Festival has changed to allow every Rose travel to Tralee to enjoy the event in its entirety. The Communications Manager of the Rose of Tralee International Festival, John Drummey, said: “For the past 11 years a qualifying event was staged in the midlands at the end of May at which 32 Roses were selected to appear on TV in August and ultimately get to enjoy all the fun of the Festival. The good news is that every Rose who is selected to represent her county/city/state/country will travel to the Festival in Tralee. The Roses will still take part in a qualifying process, as RTE can only accommodate 32 Roses on live TV with Dáithí Ó Sé.”
Each Rose will take part in the qualifying selections, also presented by Dáithí Ó Sé in the Dome, on either August 17th or 18th, and she’ll find out on Sunday 21st August if she will be appearing on the televised selections on Monday 22nd or Tuesday 23rd August. Such is the continued success of the Rose of Tralee on TV, RTÉ are introducing a third Rose of Tralee TV programme from this year onwards – The Road to the Dome will be aired on RTÉ One at 6.30pm on Monday 22nd August. The televised selections will be broadcast as usual at 8pm on Monday 22nd and Tuesday 23rd August on RTÉ One.
Anyone who wishes to travel to Tralee to support their favourite Rose in the Dome or to enjoy any of the live music entertainment during the Festival can purchase tickets from www.roseoftralee.ie.