THE Chief Executive of the Rose of Tralee International Festival has hit out at critics of the event in a strongly worded open letter.

Anthony O’Gara defended the festival and the Roses from what he sees as “zealous, angry, if perhaps, misguided social commentators” and said our festival is “by a country-mile the best festival in Ireland”.

“The Rose of Tralee is not all about: Paddy Whackery, Colleens on Parade, Stepford Wives tricked out as national stereotypes, flagrant misogyny or masquerading as Irish culture,” read the letter.

“We don’t have a 1950s ethos – we do have a proud history and each year the Roses reflect women as they are today. Their ethos is ours.
We are not interested in stereotyping women. We celebrate exceptional women and accept them as the proud people they are, whatever that might be.

Mr O’Gara said that commentators should “get over the outdated ‘lovely girls’ joke.”

“We don’t do more ‘mock Irishness’ or indulge in ‘plastic paddies’,” continued Mr O’Gara. “The 200,000 people who engage with us annually and the TV viewers are real people. To dismiss it, simply by forming opinions based on seeing elements of one of Ireland’s most popular TV shows each year, without attending the Festival is simply an excuse to trot out flagrant verbal rubbish for the sake of it.”

The Rose of Tralee, Maria Walsh, will appear on The Late Late Show on Friday night which, Mr O’Gara suggests, the critics should watch to see if it changes their mind.

“Let’s see if you don’t fall under the spell,” concluded the letter.

See the full text of the letter here.