Deirdre Reynolds: It's still not feminism, but I can't help picking the Rose anyway
You can even call the Tralee festival woke when compared to other events.
Now in its 66th year, The Rose of Tralee returned to the small screen this week, after the long-running festival kicked off in Kerry on Friday.
And, maybe it's age, or just the zero feckage that comes with age, particularly for women, but after years of professionally railing against it as has become the fashion, I've softened towards the admittedly twee showcase of everyone from Galway Girls to London Lasses.
If Lord of the Dance Michael Flatley can put himself forward to represent the 'ordinary people' of Ireland on the world stage, then I see no reason why a student nurse from Meath or a lawyer from Boston can't battle it out to become an effigy of modern Irish womanhood (or even just get a year's worth of free frocks and blow-dries).
Running since 1959, with male presenters including Gay Byrne, Ryan Tubridy and Dáithí Ó Sé holding court, it's not hard to see where the Father Ted comparisons come from, or why a growing number of people view it as a relic of the past that's only short of having a sandwich-making segment.
Dáithí Ó Sé and Kathryn Thomas steer the ship of the Rose of Tralee. Picture: Andres Poveda
Today's News in 90 Seconds - August 19th
Parachuting in a female co-host, Kathryn Thomas, in 2023, lifting the ban on married women in 2021 (when trans women were also welcomed to enter) or unmarried mothers in 2008, is unlikely to have changed too many hearts and minds in that regard.
Nor are they the reasons why I've come around to the event which, next to Brasil's Miss Bumbum competition or Miss Beautiful Vagina in the US, is, in any case, positively harmless.
It's because, unlike, say, nearby Killorglin's King Puck during the week, the 32 women taking part had a choice, and isn't that what it's all about?
Is it possible that some onlookers pillory the Rose of Tralee, not because it's a throwback to a time when women's options were much more limited, but because it highlights the freedoms we have today?
Some, like OnlyFans creator Bonnie Blue, choose to sleep with 1000-plus men in a day to make their name. Read more
Others choose to make small talk with Dáithí Ó Sé on stage at Munster Technological University - swings and roundabouts, really.
Either way, as the comments on Nelly Furtado's visibly curvier body or Taylor Swift's appearance on her NFL star boyfriend's podcast just this week showed, society is going to have something to say about it, so the 32 hopefuls vying for the 2025 title might as well use it to their gain.
At the end of the day, the Rose of Tralee is never going to be the bastion of feminism, and I wish organisers would stop overplaying its hand, as in Ó Sé feting the festival as a barometer of 'what Irish were doing socially, when it comes to work, travel and so on' over the years.
We get it: while the escorts merely have to rock up in tux, the women, who this year range from yoga instructors to accountants and physical therapists, are ridiculously overqualified for the year-long gig.
Now bring back the crown, ditched a few years ago in an attempt to shake off its beauty pageant image, but which even the Puck Fair goat still gets, and may the best Rose win.
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25 minutes ago
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Irish Daily Mirror
25 minutes ago
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Irish Daily Mirror
25 minutes ago
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Reason Rose of Tralee didn't get tiara and the lavish prize she'll get instead
The Rose of Tralee crowned its 65th winner last night, with the title going to 20-year-old Laois Rose Katelyn Cummins. Katelyn, who grew up on a dairy farm and is now completing an electrical apprenticeship, was announced as this year's Rose just before 11.30pm, live on RTE. She was presented with her sash by last year's winner in front of an emotional audience in Tralee. The Laois woman rose to the top of a strong field of 32 Roses, with co-hosts Kathryn Thomas and Dáithí Ó Sé revealing her as the 2025 champion. While Katelyn takes home the prestigious title and a prize package worth tens of thousands, one thing is still missing - the iconic tiara. For decades, the winner of the Rose of Tralee was presented with a bespoke headpiece designed by Waterford Crystal and Tipperary Crystal. But in 2022, organisers scrapped the tradition following public feedback. At the time, Westmeath Rose and 2022 winner Rachel Duffy explained the move. She told Radio Kerry: "For all the young girls out there, it's about developing self-confidence and being okay with being yourself. You don't need a tiara to be a winner." Since then, RTE confirmed that "there is no tiara" for the winning Rose, a decision that continues to divide opinion. Instead of a tiara, Katelyn will enjoy a lavish prize package that includes: World travel voucher worth €25,000, Kia Niro plug-in hybrid car worth worth over €40,000 for her year as Rose Complimentary stays at the 4-star Meadowlands Hotel every time she returns to Tralee Free hair styling throughout the year from Brush 'N' Blush Hair and Beauty Week-long adventure in Kerry, for her and a guest, hosted by Kerry County Council Despite the impressive rewards, many viewers admitted they still miss the traditional crowning moment. Social media lit up last night with calls to bring back the tiara. Laois Rose Katelyn Cummins (Image: RTE News) One person asked online: "Is there no tiara for the new Rose of Tralee?" to which someone replied: "They got rid of the Tiara in 2022. The organisers said it was because of public feedback that it was outdated because young girls watching at home would be self conscious about it. They said that its ok to be yourself and that you don't need a tiara to be a winner." Another asked the official Rose of Tralee twitter account: "Can ye sort out the tiara situation before next year please??" A third wrote: "I have this issue every year. I hate that there is no crown or tiara for the winner. It's such a let down. It was always so special. Surely something they could reintroduce." Someone else stated: "Hate the way it end, no tiara or going down to meet her family." Another joked: "May need to start a gofundme for a new tiara." Other comments included: "So not the same without the tiara", "Bring back the hasn't been the same since they did away with it" and "Petition to bring back the tiara!" The debate is nothing new. In 2023, when New York Rose Roisin Wiley went without the headpiece, a fan poll on X (formerly Twitter) showed 87.5% of voters wanted the tiara reinstated. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
