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Rose Escorts taking part in Boot Camp over the weekend. Photo By Domnick Walsh © Eye Focus LTD
THREE Kerry men have made the final 32 Escorts chosen to attend to the needs of Roses at this year’s Rose of Tralee International Festival from August 23-27.
40 men took park in the popular, yet testing, Boot Camp along the Wild Atlantic Way in Kerry last weekend, after which the final 32 were shortlisted. The three Kerry men are Jamie Flannery, Dingle, Ciarán O’Donnell, Killarney and Chris Kelly, Tralee.
The lads, who already came through an interview process in April, had to pass several endurance tests and team-building exercises before they could graduate as fully-fledged Rose Escorts.
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Munster has the highest representation with 12 Rose Escorts – three each from Kerry, Cork and Tipperary, two from Limerick and one from Clare.
Leinster has 10 with two each from Dublin and Kildare and one each from Westmeath, Meath, Wexford, Wicklow, Kilkenny and Offaly.
Six lads from Connacht – two each from Galway and Roscommon and one each from Mayo and Leitrim and four men from Ulster – Donegal, Tyrone, Derry and Antrim complete the line-up.
Kerry escorts Ciaran O’Donnell, Chris Kelly and Jamie Flannery.
The Rose of Tralee International Festival’s Communications Manager, John Drummey, said: “The Rose Escorts spent three days in Kerry where they undertook a number of gruelling, yet fun, tasks to prepare them for the festival in August. The Boot Camp weekend in the Kingdom is a team-building exercise that is also designed to help them cope with the demands of a busy week in Tralee. We are particularly grateful to our friends in Kerry County Council for putting together such a packed programme of activities throughout the magnificent Kingdom of Kerry.”
The lads, all aged 21 to 30, had to carry out a range of activities including a hike over Carrauntoohill – Ireland’s highest mountain – cliff diving, abseiling, cookery, swimming, kayaking, surfing, ironing and sewing in order to prove they will have the stamina to be a Rose Escort.
This year’s Rose Escort Boot Camp activities were supported by Kerry County Council, Kerry Fire Service, who played a major role in the transport and logistics of the event.
Over the course of the weekend, the Rose Escorts experienced the visitor facilities in Killarney, Killorglin, Cappanalea, Rossbeigh Beach and Tralee.
Looking ahead to the year’s Rose of Tralee International Festival, one of the 32 men will be selected as the Rose Escort of the Year live on RTÉ One on Monday 26th August.
The 2019 Rose of Tralee International Festival will take place from Friday 23rd to Tuesday 27th August when a full line-up of FREE family-fun entertainment is planned for the streets of Tralee with Aslan, The Hot House Flowers, Derek Ryan, three parades, two fireworks displays and Adrenaline Stunt Show and much more.
The Festival Dome will play host to the Rose Ball, 80s Night with Abbaesque, Autumn Winter Fashion Show and of course, the TV Rose Selections on RTÉ presented by Dáithí Ó Sé.
Full details of this year’s Rose of Tralee International Festival are available from www.roseoftralee.ie, Facebook and Twitter @roseoftralee_.
