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Jonathan Collins of Ballyroe Heights Hotel with Rose of Tralee Elysha Brennan, Rose Escort of the Year Shane Kenny, Kerry Rose 2015 Julette Culloty and Honor Hurley of the Kerry Rose Centre at the launch of the search for the Kerry Rose 2016 at Ballyroe Heights Hotel on Sunday. Photo by Will Nolan
THE 2015 Kerry Rose, Julette Culloty, joined the Rose of Tralee, Elysha Brennan, and Escort of the Year, Shane Kenny, to launch the search for the 2016 Kerry Rose, which takes place on May 20, at The Ballyroe Heights Hotel.
The Rose that is selected to be the next Kerry Rose will continue to be guaranteed a place on live TV at the 2016 Rose of the Tralee International Festival.
For the past 11 years, Roses from all over the world had to travel to Portlaoise at the end of May to take part in a qualifying event to try and make it through to the televised stages of Ireland’s top festival.
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This year the event will now feature almost 70 Roses, another night of TV coverage and the festival will run for seven days in total.
Honor Hurley from the Kerry Rose Centre said: “This is great news for anyone who considers entering the 2016 Kerry Rose selection. Whoever is picked as the 2016 Kerry Rose in May will definitely be part of the Live TV show in August while other Roses will have to take part in a qualifying event during the festival.”
“Such is the continued success of the Rose of Tralee on TV, RTÉ are introducing a third night of Rose of Tralee TV coverage from this year onwards. The Festival itself has also been extended from five to seven days and 68 Roses will come to Tralee to enjoy the festival,” she said.
This is a great incentive for more young women aged 18-27 to enter the Kerry Rose event this year in the knowledge that once she is selected, she will definitely be part of all the events including the live TV show in August.
Julette Culloty reflected on her year as the Kerry Rose, describing the whole experience as being “unforgettable” and still attends many functions across the county, as the 2015 Kerry Rose, promoting several charity and local events along the way.
Applications forms are available online at www.roseoftralee.ie or if anyone wishes to find out more about entering the Kerry Rose Selection, please call/text on 087 147 4100, email kerryrosecentre@gmail.com or find them on Facebook at Kerry Rose Centre.
