No two nights are ever the same on the Rose of Tralee. This year's event was no exception as we witnessed the odd harp, a spot of magic, a reading of Dáithí Ó Sé's tea leaves, the occasional tune - and The Proclaimers played on the bagpipes...
But the biggest and most important moment - as ever - is when the new Rose of Tralee gets announced.
Congratulations to New Zealand Rose Keely O'Grady.
Here are some of the highlights from this year's Rose of Tralee:
Chicago isn't just a musical on The Rose of Tralee
Finally we're delighted for you to meet our Chicago Rose Megan Cahill! #roseoftralee pic.twitter.com/ZtmKEEFMco
— Rose of Tralee (@RoseofTralee_) August 20, 2024
Representing Chicago, Megan Cahill comes from a family of high achievers. Listing off her family's careers was exhaustingly impressive. She also comes with a great big smile and tons of charm - and talent!
Last on, but certainly not least, Megan was full of chat.
"I grew up as a traditional Irish dancer," she told Kathryn Thomas, adding that she has also ran five marathons ("The best was Dublin!"). She does nothing by halves!
After a quick change of costume, Megan reappeared and rocked the Dome with a rousing performance of a reel to The Road to Errogie.
And now for someone completely traditional!
We love a reval! #roseoftralee #rte pic.twitter.com/Wn4BRNJRnZ
— Rose of Tralee (@RoseofTralee_) August 20, 2024
Tipperary Rose Tara Brady brought a bit of Bucks Fizz to her traditional performance, which was a mix of playing the spoons and then a spot of Irish dancing.
Dressed in white and black, Tara sat down to play the spoons before leppin' up and swooshing off her full-length skirt to reveal a shorter white one.
Those old enough to remember such things explained that Bucks Fizz did something similar with skirts in the Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin back in 1981.
The Rose who had hiccups for NINE years!!!
We've heard a few weird stories and tales of experiences over the decades on The Rose of Tralee, but a really peculiar one came up this year.
An impressed Kathryn said to Westmeath Rose Grace O'Connor: "You've been getting the hiccups for nine years!"
"It's random," Grace explained. "It's not like every time you eat. It's just so random!"
And fair play to Grace, there wasn't a single hiccup from her throughout her time on stage.
She topped it all by reciting Dear Brother, a moving poem she wrote about her young brother Ryan, who passed away just before Christmas last year.
Dáithí gets introduced to the art of wool felting
Roscommon Rose Rachel Hastings eyeing up her next project during the Rose Tour in Co Kerry #roseoftralee pic.twitter.com/kTKKCY4ePo
— Rose of Tralee (@RoseofTralee_) August 20, 2024
Roscommon Rose Rachel Hastings revealed that she's been to the Rose of Tralee "many, many times" and admitted she was "really excited" to be a contestant.
She also looked great in a pink dress with off-the-shoulder bows. Dáithí asked how many acres her boyfriend's farm had, and Rachel replied: "It's road-fronted."
But her USP came when she introduced Dáithí to wool felting, which must be a first for the Rose of Tralee.
Dáithí gets his tea leaves read - and did he get winning Lotto numbers?
Wasn't our London Rose Glenna Mannion terrific! #roseoftralee #rte pic.twitter.com/gSNV9MdROC
— Rose of Tralee (@RoseofTralee_) August 20, 2024
London Rose Glenna Mannion likes to travel but has also picked up some interesting skills from her family - including the ability to read tea leaves.
Remember tea leaves? They're not as handy as tea bags but make much tastier tea.
They also reveal things to the tea-sipper - but only if you know what to look for in the leaves.
Glenna read Dáithí's tea leaves and told him a series of numbers - she said the first three out loud, but we'll respect that the numbers were for Dáithí alone and won't repeat them - before whispering more in his ear.
Should make tomorrow’s Lotto rather interesting.
She also told him something "Late Late" was coming on a Friday night! What could that mean?
Who's that Rose in the blue dress digging Emily Dickinson?
Cavan Rose Grace Farrelly may be only 20, but she knows what she wants and she's also won our in-house award for the best dress at the 2024 Rose of Tralee Festival.
Her sky blue outfit was subtle and stunning, but she also showed off her singing ability by performing Dream A Little Dream and charming the audience.
Not too sure about her liking the poetry of Emily Dickinson though - a bit on the dark side that! Wasn't she the one who wrote I Felt a Funeral, in My Brain?
The bagpipes make their Rose of Tralee debut (we think)
San Francisco Rose Maggie Baglin lives up to her name on the bagpipes! Maggie is a proud member of the Irish Pipers Band of San Francisco.
San Francisco Rose Maggie Baglin lives up to her name on the bagpipes! Maggie is a proud member of the Irish Pipers Band of San Francisco. #roseoftralee #rte pic.twitter.com/JV7jbV9loY
— Rose of Tralee (@RoseofTralee_) August 19, 2024
Let's not make any cheap gags about bagpipes (a wonderfully evocative instrument) but who didn't look askance at the volume button when San Francisco Rose, the aptly named Maggie Baglin, hefted a set of pipes on stage on Monday night? She then proceeded to blast out a very impressive version of I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) by the mighty Proclaimers. Less successful perhaps was Kathryn’s game attempt to lead the audience in a singalong...
Riverdancing to Hang on Sloppy
O-H-I-O...all together now! Aoife Zuercher got Tralee up and dancing with her energetic jig to the rock hit Hang on Sloopy #roseoftralee pic.twitter.com/kS6kbT9Ud9
— Entertainment on RTÉ (@RTE_Ents) August 19, 2024
Irish dancing to garage rock classic Hang on Sloopy? Why not? This is the Rose of Tralee, after all. Anything can happen and sometimes does. The song, first recorded by The Vibrations but made famous by The McCoys in 1965, is associated with Ohio State University and is "Ohio's official rock song", according to Ohio Rose and NASA scientist Aoife Zuercher. So she did a spot of barefoot Riverdancing to the track as she tried valiantly to lead the crowd in a chant of "O-H-I-O".
A rowing machine er, race
Leitrim Rose Shauna Murtagh row, row, rowed her boat to #theroseoftralee. So impressive! pic.twitter.com/QlFueB46B2
— Entertainment on RTÉ (@RTE_Ents) August 19, 2024
Yes, you read that right. Leitrim Rose and rowing champ Shauna Murtagh wasn't taking any prisoners when she challenged Kathryn "I’m not remotely competitive" Thomas to a race to nowhere on a pair of rowing machines. With the ever-dynamic James Patrice acting as unofficial rowing referee, the girls clambered on board the contraptions and, to coin a phrase, started pulling like a dog. Not an easy thing to do in fabulous frocks. Looking on slightly bemused, a very relieved Dáithí said, "It’s fair to say I dodged another bullet."
Dáithí nearly turns the air blue during a pom pom mishap
Dáithí Ó Sé nearly had a "faaaanntttta" moment when he caught his mic in a pair of pom poms during a cheerleading routine with Kerry Rose Emer Dineen! #RoseofTralee pic.twitter.com/RbTRxiUCJQ
— Entertainment on RTÉ (@RTE_Ents) August 19, 2024
Red gúnaí were the big look of the night
Monaghan Rose Anne-Marie McArdle went for red on the night
As Seán O'Casey and The Pogues might say, it was red roses for me on Monday night down in the Dome in Tralee with no less than seven Roses looking fabulous in red dresses.
Galway Rose makes a brave speech in support of mental health
"When you're in a good place, that’s the best time to work on yourself."
— Entertainment on RTÉ (@RTE_Ents) August 19, 2024
Galway Rose, Deirdre Jennings, shines a light on mental health during the #RoseofTralee pic.twitter.com/2sJB1Vsrl4
In the most moving moment of the night, Galway Rose Deirdre Jennings from Ros an Mhíl opened up about her struggles with her mental health and made a call for everyone to look after their own mental well-being. Deirdre, who works as a medical social worker at University Hospital Galway, discussed how talking about her feelings and struggles was key to her happiness.
Words well worth hearing at any time.
All images by Domnick Walsh Photography
Reporting: John Byrne and Alan Corr
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