Newly crowned Offaly Rose ‘still in shock’

Kinnitty's Allie Leahy was named the 2023 Offaly Rose last weekend and has said she is “still in shock” following the win.

"You should have seen my face. All the girls were amazing, it could have been any of us. I was the lucky one,” Allie said.“I'm so overwhelmed about it all. I'm trying to wrap my head around everything that's to come.”

Speaking about how she became involved with the festival, Allie (23) explained: “My neighbour Aine Whelan text me about it. She asked me would I go for it. Lynn (Offaly Rose Centre) got in contact with me and sold it to me.” Aine was also Allie's sponsor from Flaherty's of Kinnitty.

Spurred on by huge support from her family and friends Allie decided to take part in the Offaly Rose selection. She was initially hesitant to apply for the Offaly Rose as she didn't have a talent like singing or dancing but said “the Rose team were just brilliant. There's no pressure put on you to do one”.

Allie is looking forward to what's to come from her Rose experience and said: “It's quite overwhelming. I don't think it's all set in. I'm looking forward to meeting the other Roses and having the trips. It's definitely going to be scary and overwhelming.”

"Getting this far is so much itself because I never thought it was going to be me. Kinnitty is buzzing. Everyone's been so supportive. People I haven't even met in the village have approached me and let me known they're rooting for me.”

The St Brendan's Community school past student has been working as a receptionist for Tullamore Pet Hospital for the past three years. She also coaches the underage Kinnitty camogie teams and this year is coaching the Under 14 team.

Despite being a camogie coach, Allie said she dosen't play camogie and isn't the most coordinated. “I'm more so there for support for girls. I'm there if they need anything or want to talk.”

Speaking about her work with Tullamore Pet Hospital, Allie said: “It's challenging but rewarding at the same time. She is responsible for taking calls, booking appointments and organising schedules.

She previously lived in Inveraray, Scotland and worked in a hotel there before moving home as a result of the pandemic and plans to move abroad again in the future.

Allie's father worked in Scotland as a lumberjack for about ten years and helped her find a job there. “It was challenging. It was probably the first move I did myself. It was definitely one of the most brilliant things I've done. I was working with people from all over the world.”

Before moving abroad, Allie briefly studied Hotel Management in Galway but said it just wasn't for her. “I enjoy the working life being out meeting new people.”

One of Allie's new year's resolutions was to do things out of her comfort zone and to try to better herself which is why she undertook a diploma course and applied for the Offaly Rose.

The Kinnitty native recently completed a diploma in Advertising, Sales, Marketing and Public Relations with Dublin Business School. “It was definitely challenging because I’m not academic. I completely threw myself out of my comfort zone.”

Allie is the daughter of Tom Leahy and Sam Hanneffy Leahy from Kinnitty and Portlaoise respectively. She has three siblings, Shauna, Tom and Keira.

Allie also enjoys travelling, meeting new people and learning about other cultures. She visited various European cities as well as New York and Melbourne. She recently went to Melbourne for three and a half weeks to look after her younger brother after he injured his ACL.

“It was an incredible experience, just a different lifestyle over there. It's definitely a move I'd like to make in the future,” she ended.