Rose of Tralee star says people 'shocked' after discovering she's an electrician

Irish Daily Mirror

3 days ago

A Rose of Tralee contestant has said people are 'shocked' when they discover she is an electrician.
Katelyn Cummins, 21, will represent Laois at this year's Rose of Tralee festival, which takes place on August 18 and 19. The 21-year-old is a second-year apprentice electrician from Ballyouskill, working with Alpha Drives in Portlaoise, while also helping her dad and her siblings on their dairy farm.
Opening up about taking a trade as her career path, she said: 'Yes, they would be shocked in a good way. People are very enthusiastic in a good way about it. They're very supportive and ask me if I know any more female electricians.
'I love doing it and I am so happy that there are more women getting into it now. It's so empowering for women to be able to see that there are other women doing it. I think that pushes other women to do that I am delighted about.'
Although she is unsure about mentioning it on stage to hosts Dáithí Ó Sé and Kathryn Thomas, she said she wants to highlight to people not to be afraid taking a different career path as a woman.
'I'm not sure I'll mention it on stage, but I do want to highlight it as part of my journey, like women shouldn't be afraid to take difficult paths or take different routes that is not traditional. It is becoming more common.' Laois Rose 20254, Katelyn Cummins
She said it was her dad who introduced her to being an electrician, adding: 'Growing up on a dairy farm, I'm so used to working with my hands… the hard work was always built into me from such a young age. School was never really for me. I didn't enjoy it that much. The Leaving Cert didn't stress me out. After I did work experience in TY, I knew I wanted to do something different.
'My dad dropped me in with the local electrician for the week and I absolutely loved it.'
Opening up about her decision to enter the Kerry festival, she said she was looking forward to making new friends.
She said: 'I originally took part in the Laois selection because I didn't have that many friends in Laois and I wanted to make more friends and have a better social life in Laois with lots of new girls.
'With my job, I just work with a lot of lads all the time so it would be nice to meet a lot of new girls.
'After school, girls drift apart, and it was just wanting to make more friends in the area.' She said her parents were 'absolutely delighted' when they heard she wanted to take part of he Rose of Tralee. Laois Rose 2025, Kaitlyn Cummins
She added: 'My parents are over the absolute Moon. They are so happy and proud. It's something I've always dreamed of as a little girl. I've never missed it.
'To be crowned the Laois Rose in April was amazing. They were so proud.' Kateyln added that last year's Rose of Tralee winner Keeley O'Grady encouraged her to enter the competition.
She said: 'I'm 20 and I was approached by the coordinator back two years ago when I was working part-time in a hotel. She was going around scouting for girls and she asked.
'But I had just turned 18 and I felt I was too young for it. I was doing my Leaving Cert year as well. Then when I saw Keeley O'Grady was 21 and crowned the Rose of Tralee it just showed that anything is possible, and you didn't have to have a certain background or be a certain age.
'That's probably what pushed me. I think it's so empowering for girls this year because there was such a wide age group.'
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