PHOTOS: Rose Escorts Descend On Kerry To Take Part In Boot Camp

THERE were flips, flops, and plenty of laughs as 32 of Ireland’s finest – this year’s official Rose Escorts – descended on Kerry for a high-octane, high-energy adventure that tested everything from their stamina to their ironing skills.

Cork and Dublin topped the list of successful Rose Escort applicants again for this year’s Festival with four each making the shortlist of 32 chosen after a gruelling Rose Escort Bootcamp in Co Kerry, while teaching is the most popular profession among the group.

The annual Rose Escort Bootcamp kicked off at the Meadowlands Hotel in Tralee, where the young men were officially welcomed and posed for the cameras before sizing up the competition.

But the relaxed start was short-lived. Over the next 48 hours, the chosen few – whittled down from hundreds of hopefuls – took part in a jam-packed itinerary that brought them to Jamie Knox Watersport’s in the Maherees for some fun.

In Dingle they enjoyed a boat trip, a visit to Paul Geaney’s pub for whiskey tasting and a trip out to Páidí Ó Sé’s in Ventry.

Back in Tralee they visited Tralee Bay Wetlands for some wall-climbing and an obstacle course at Tralee Fire Station before heading back to the Meadowlands for a bite to eat. Scroll down for photos…