Offaly Rose gets involved in anti-bullying initiative

Offaly Rose Allie Leahy has teamed up with The Shona Project and will help to draw attention to bullying in secondary schools at a festival run by the non-profit organisation next month.

Allie said that the organisation reached out to her to help TY students and that she will be attending their Shine Festival in the South East Technological University (SETU) Arena in Carriganore, Waterford on Wednesday, October 11. Allie will speak at the festival along with professional boxer and Olympic gold medallist Kellie Harrington and TV presenter Fionnuala Moran.

The Shona Project aims to educate, empower and inspire Irish girls to become tomorrow's strong, resilient and confident young women.

“It's incredible to be able to tell my story and to be able to reach so many people and hopefully help them out, even if it's just one person to make a difference,” said Allie.

The Shona Project hosts the Shine Festival every year which is an empowering event for young women which encompasses a workshop spread over two days. They work with mainly female TY students aims to help them understand what they're going through, to discuss bullying and how it can happen. It features many speakers on topics such as self-esteem, resilience, career, arts, wellness, health sports and social issues.

Allie said that she “gained a lot of confidence” from by entering the Rose of Tralee this year from socialising with the other Roses. “It has definitely been a huge confidence booster for me.”

She said that she “enjoyed every second” of being a part of the festival this year.

The Kinnitty native explained that she was very apprehensive about putting herself forward as the Offaly Rose. “There was so many times, to be honest, I was pulling back out. It's very out of my comfort zone and with the push of my friends and family and my boyfriend it definitely was worth it.”

During the TV coverage of the Rose of Tralee festival Allie spoke to co-host Kathryn Thomas about being bullied in secondary school and the effect that this had on her. Alllie said that the response to telling her story has been “so positive” and that many parents have thanked her for telling the story.

“I've had people reach out to me through social media thanking me for telling my story and I think for such a negative experience, there's a positive that has come out.”

Speaking about being bullied during her teenage years, Allie said: “It definitely never leaves you at all and some days for me are harder than others.”

The Rose team asked her if she wanted to speak about the experience in advance of the interview. “They did ask me was I okay and I felt that was my opportunity to be able to bring awareness around it because I don't think it's spoke about enough and I don't think it's dealt with properly either.”

“I think counselling very much helped for me in the sense I was able to come out of school now, I can build a new life.”

“Some people definitely struggle on more afterwards, but I was just kind of lucky I did get the help and the kind of closure that I needed. “

Allie also had to get surgery before she went on the Rose Tour last August which she said was a “disaster” prior to the festival.

The Offaly woman had organised a fashion show fundraiser for Offaly Hospice but had to be admitted to Tullamore Hospital the day before the show for appendicitis.

“I lost about ten days of being able to get organised but I was just blessed it didn't happen during the tour because it wouldn't have went well for me at all. She said the Rose team were “so helpful” during this time.

Allie said that she didn't want to leave Tralee as she was treated like royalty, and she would recommend the Rose of Tralee experience to everybody. “If I never got selected as the Offaly rose those couple of weeks leading up to (the selection night) were enough to recommend to anybody. It was just incredible.”

On suggestions by some that the festival is old-fashioned and out of date, Allie stated: “As somebody who's been heavily involved with the festival, I personally believe that it's a very much negative response to it and anyone that does says that, I'd have to ask them, have they ever been part of it?” Her family “absolutely loved” the festival too.

"I'd be the first to admit I was very hesitant in even going for the Offaly Rose.. it doesn't matter what degree or education, what job you have, it's not based around that. It's how you are with others and your personality, having a good time and empowering women and boosting each other up rather than knocking each other down and that's definitely something I gained from it.”

She maintained that the public should have a more positive outlook on the festival. “It's such an Irish tradition as well and, you know, people have their hurling and camogie and stuff like that, but this is another different thing for Irish women to be able to take part in and to represent their county in a different way.”

Allie has returned to her work as a receptionist for Tullamore Pet Hospital and will continue to help Offaly Hospice with their work in the future and said what they're doing is “absolutely incredible.”

“Apart from that, I'm just kind of taking whatever opportunity comes my way, I'm grabbing it with both hands and trying to do my best with whatever comes my way.”