Hunt for Offaly rose is underway

The search is underway to find the 2018 Offaly Rose and young women from all over the county are invited to apply online ahead of this year’s Offaly Rose Selection.

The Rose of Tralee, Dr Jennifer Byrne recently teamed up with RTÉ’s Rose of Tralee Presenter, Dáithí Ó Sé to launch the search for her successor who will be crowned in the Festival Dome on Tuesday 21st August.

Dr Jennifer Byrne, the first ever Offaly Rose to take the title, said: “All I can say to any young woman is to ‘go for it and apply!’ The Rose of Tralee international Festival has truly been the most incredible experience of my life and I hope to encourage as many young women as possible to take part and become their local Rose. I guarantee them they will make incredible friends and have an amazing experience. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my year as the Rose of Tralee so far and am really excited for what’s to come. Many people think that the Rose of Tralee festival is just one week long and they don’t realise that the Roses and Rose Escorts have so many incredible experiences throughout the whole year. I’ve so many more exciting times ahead and I’m really looking forward to meeting the 2018 Roses who will be selected in the coming months.”

The desire to be the next Rose of Tralee is stronger than ever with over 4000 women entering selection events around the world since 2014.

Jennifer was one of the 502 people who took part in qualifying selections in Ireland last year, while another 500 women entered selections in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Britain, Europe and Middle East in 2017.

Rose of Tralee regional selections will take place from February to June all over the world and anyone interested in entering the Offaly Rose of Tralee event can do so online at www.roseoftralee.ie.

The Offaly Rose of Tralee selection night takes place on the 3rd of March 2018 at 8pm in the Bridge House Hotel, Tullamore.

As the Lead Sponsor of the Rose of International Festival, Tipperary Crystal will present, the 2018 Rose of Tralee with a complete collection of Tipperary Crystal Fine Jewellery, a range of high quality products from their Giftware and Homeware Collections. She’ll wear the splendid tiara featuring the Rose motif as the central framework, adorned in glistening crystals and the exquisitely crafted Crystal Perpetual Trophy.

The next Rose of Tralee will drive away from Tralee in a brand new KIA from McElligotts Tralee, a World Travel Prize valued at €25,000 and a weeklong holiday in Kerry from Kerry County Council.

Every return visit to Tralee during the 2018 Rose of Tralee’s reign will be spent in comfort at the magnificent 4-star Rose Hotel, the home to the Rose of Tralee International Festival.

The 2018 Rose of Tralee International Festival will run from Friday 17th to Tuesday 21st August. To find details of a Rose Selection near you and to apply online, visit www.roseoftralee.ie.