THE countdown to August has now well and truly started after the 23 finalists for this years ‘Rose Of Tralee Festival’ were announced on Sunday night in Laois.

There will be some brand new faces at this year’s festival with Meath and South Carolina set to have their first ever representatives travel to the famous festival.

56 Roses from the USA, Canada, Ireland, Britain, Germany, Luxembourg and the Middle East were treated to a four-day festival in County Laois complete with Civic Reception, classic car parade, music & street market festival and the Laois county fleadh.

“The Roses who have been chosen to progress to the televised selection in Tralee will be amazed by the sheer scale of the pageantry and excitement of the Festival in the Kingdom,” said Dáithí Ó Sé, RTÉ Rose of Tralee Selection Host.

The 23 Roses who have qualified for the televised selection will be joined by the Kerry, Dublin and Cork Roses as well as six Roses from Australia and New Zealand in the Dome next August.

This year’s Rose of Tralee International Festival will run from Friday 14 to Tuesday 18 August and will feature an exciting programme of entertainment for all the family such as Hometown, StereoKicks, Nathan Carter, The Riptide Movement, Hudson Taylor, Sharon Shannon and the Kilfenora Céilí Band as well as the Rose of Tralee Fashion Show, Rose Ball and Televised Selection nights.

Tickets to Dome events will go on sale from the Rose of Tralee website here on Monday 8th June, while tickets for the Street Carnival entertainment are already on sale via the website.

For more information about the festival visit, you can check out the website or follow the event on Facebook here or on Twitter  here.

Scroll down to find out the 23 chosen finalists…

ABU DHABI ROSE – DEIRDRE WARD

BOSTON & NEW ENGLAND ROSE – SARAH HOGAN

CHICAGO ROSE – MAEVE MCSWEENEY

DERRY ROSE – EIMEAR ANDERSON

DUBAI ROSE – MARIE RYAN

GALWAY ROSE – OLGA LEE

GERMANY ROSE – RÓISÍN NÍ MHATHÚNA

KENTUCKY ROSE – EMILY HUGHES

LONDON ROSE – AISLING HILLARY

LONGFORD ROSE – DAPHNE HOWARD

LOUTH ROSE – JENNY HANLON

MEATH ROSE – ELYSHA BRENNAN

MELBOURNE ROSE – JOY KERRIGAN

MONAGHAN ROSE – MICHELLE CAULFIELD

NEW YORK – SOPHIE COLGAN

PHILADELPHIA ROSE – MAIRÉAD COMASKEY

SCOTLAND ROSE – BRID MADIGAN

SOUTH CAROLINA – SHANNON KELAHAN-PIERSON

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA – LAUREN WALLER

TEXAS ROSE – SIOBHÁN THOMPSON

TORONTO ROSE – ERIKA HEALY

WESTERN CANADA ROSE – CASSANDRA SAMPSON

WICKLOW ROSE – MEGAN SWART