TraleeToday.ie’s coverage of the Rose of Tralee International Festival was brought to you by AIB Tralee
IT’S slowly sinking in for Kirsten Mate Maher that she is the new Rose of Tralee and one of her first engagements was the annual photoshoot in the Rose Garden in the town park on Wednesday morning.
The 21 year old, originally from Mullinavat in Kilkenny but now living in Waterford City, didn’t get much sleep last night but she was utterly charming and beaming as she posed for photos and chatted to locals and tourists in the park.
She also spoke to the assembled press and said that despite being offered a place in Waterford IT on Monday, she has not made any decision on whether she’ll take it in September.
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“I don’t really have a plan at the moment. I need to sit down and have a think. I’m still completely in shock,” said Kirsten, who has had an incredible time in Tralee over the past week.
“It’s been crazy, the most wonderful crazy though, it’s such a great festival. If I have any advice to give anyone it’s to come down and experience the Rose of Tralee festival, because I used to just watch it on the telly. There really is so much work done by the volunteers here. The Dome goes from being a catwalk one night to a banquet for hundreds of people the next.”
Kirsten was also asked about her African roots as her father is from Zambia.
“I’m really proud of my Zambian roots, my family there are really delighted. My dad was only over there last month and explained it all to them. It’s lovely that I can say I’m the first ever African-Irish Rose and the 60th Rose of Tralee,” said Kirsten who is hoping to get to Zambia in the next year.
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However, Kirsten says being a person of mixed race shouldn’t be an issue nowadays in modern Ireland and would prefer if the media didn’t focus on that.
“I don’t think it’s something I should be singled out by. There are so many different races here it’s mad that we have to be surprised that there’s a person of colour or mixed race in the Rose of Tralee. I’m hoping that it might encourage more people to put themselves forward for it.”
Pieta House is close to her heart and she is concerned at the prevalence of suicide in Ireland and hopes to work with them over the coming year.
“I held my 21st birthday as a fundraiser [for Pieta House]. We raised over €1,500. I can’t wait to do more. They do the most amazing work, over 800 people were helped in Waterford last year,” she said.
And then she was off for a busy day of engagements as the 60th Rose of Tralee. It won’t be long sinking in that she’ll be much in demand over the next year.