Offaly Rose begins Tralee bid
OFFALY Rose Arleen Kelly is begining what she hopes will be a journey all the way to the finals of the Rose of Tralee when she competes in the international regional finals in Portlaoise this weekend.
The Offaly Rose will be one of 45 Roses who are hoping to earn a coveted place in the final of the Rose of Tralee in August.
The upcoming three-day festival in Portlaoise will give the Roses a little taste of what the international festival in Tralee will be like in August.
As well as attending the many social functions planned for the over the weekend, the girls will also have to do individual and group interviews with the judges.
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There will be no rest for the British Roses, who will have their individual and group interviews on Thursday afternoon, just hours after they check in.
While the North American Roses get grilled by the judges on Friday morning, the British Roses will visit local attractions across the county.
Just before lunch the group judging of the North American Roses will take place. Then as the international Roses are busy rehearsing for their stage interviews, the Irish Rose individual interviews will take place.
That night the international Roses will take to the stage with Brendan Hennessy who is hosting the competition in the Portlaoise Heritage Hotel for the first time. The 15 Roses will be interviewed one-by-one, by the local GAA commentator on stage in front of the judges.
It will be a nervous wait for the international Roses, who will not find out their fate until Sunday night.
The first of the Irish regional Roses will take to the stage in the Portlaoise Heritage Hotel on Saturday night, June 5. The second selection night for the Irish Roses will take place on Sunday night. Both will be hosted by 2fm DJ, Will Leahy.
It's an early start for the Roses on Saturday morning, with the individual interviews for the 29 Irish Roses continuing at 9am. Meanwhile others will get a chance to rehearse their party piece with the musical director.
That afternoon, following the gala Rose parade and entertainment at the Civic Plaza, the individual interviews will continue for the remaining Irish Roses. After the stage interviews, the Roses will get a chance to sample Laois nightlife with a disco in the Portlaoise Heritage Hotel. But according to the schedule, the Roses must retire at half 12.
Following mass in SS Peter and Paul's Church on Sunday morning, the Roses will have one last rehearsal for the final night before departing for the Abbeyleix Manor Hotel.
Before the show gets underway, the Roses will have an individual photo shoot with the Limerick host.
At 10pm, the judges will retire to make their final decision. Following the announcement of the six Irish Roses and four International Roses picked to join the other 21 Roses in The Dome in Tralee from August 20 - August 24, the Roses will gather in Dan Keanes for a champagne toast.
Unfortunately, there will be no Bank Holiday lie-in for the winning Roses as they have a photo shoot with Will Leahy at 9.30am that morning.
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Weather for Tullamore
Tuesday 22 May 2012
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