THREE British Roses were among the 23 young women selected at the Rose of Tralee Regional Festival earlier this month.
Roses from Liverpool, Manchester and London will now to go forward to the televised stages of the International Festival in the Dome with host Dáithí Ó Sé later this summer.
The British trio will join Roses from Kerry, Cork, Dublin, the US, Canada, Australia, Europe and the Middle East at the Rose Gathering in Tralee from August 14-20.
London Rose is 21-year-old Grace Kenny.
The Portsmouth University student is a member of the O’Brien School of Irish Dancing and reached the semi-finals of Britain’s Got Talent in 2010 with the Celtic Colleens.
Born and raised in London, but with family from Tullow in Co Carlow, she said she hopes to follow in the footsteps of previous London Rose winners, Charmaine Kenny (2009) and Clare Kambamettu (2010).
“I’ve spoken to Clare and Charmaine and I feel a little bit of pressure because they did so well,” she joked.
“But with them behind me as mentors and London, the centre is such a great centre, I feel so encouraged and I can’t wait, hopefully, to do London proud.”
Representing Liverpool at the festival will be 24-year-old Lisa O’Halloran, who is originally from Athlone, Co. Westmeath.
The PhD student in Sport Psychology at Liverpool John Moores University, said: “I’m absolutely ecstatic, I’m over the moon. I couldn’t believe it when my name was called out. I can’t wait for Tralee.”
Marie McDermott is the 2013 Manchester Rose. The 25-year-old is currently studying at the city’s Metropolitan University for a BA in Primary Education.
She thanked her family for encouraging her to take part in the festival.
“My Irish heritage stems from Co Roscommon and Co Sligo with my father being an Elphin man and my mother hailing from Tubbercurry,” she said.
“They have always instilled a strong sense of my Irish heritage and culture in me.”
Listen to an interview with London Rose Grace Kenny
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Listen to an interview with Liverpool Rose Lisa O’Halloran
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