FIVE British Roses are in Kerry this week to take part in the 2016 Rose of Tralee.
Among the 65 young women taking part in the summer festival in Ireland are Roses from Derby, London, Newcastle/Gateshead, Scotland and Yorkshire.
Let's meet our girls...
Derby Rose - Kara Foley
Leeds Metropolitan University youth and community development graduate Kara Foley represents Derby in this year’s festival.
The 27-year-old currently work with school children in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.
Her father born in Co. Cork and is from a village called Carraig Na BhFear, close to Blarney.
One of five children, she says: "The Rose of Tralee is something that has always been a part of my life since childhood. It’s something that I have always wanted to do.
"Derby has a thriving and patriotic Irish community, to represent them is truly an honour and a dream come true."
London Rose - Emma Murphy-O'Connor
This year’s London Rose is Emma Murphy O’Connor.
The 24-year-old budding lawyer has just completed her law exams but dipped a toe in the legal world at the age of 14 when she did work experience in Dublin's Four Courts.
Born and bred in the English capital, Emma's grandfather played rugby for Ireland against England in 1954.
Her mum is a Galway girl from Ardrahan and she has spent every summer holiday in Connemara.
"We spent eight weeks down on the beaches, attempting to play some golf, and drinking lots of Club Orange," she says.
A fan of spin classes, she has completed two half marathons raising almost £1,000 for a local hospice and recently completed a 10km run for the London Irish Centre.
A violin player Emma was also a member of the Ealing Youth Orchestra and now plays with the Amati orchestra by St Paul’s Cathedral.
Newcastle/Gateshead Rose - Aisling Murray
Aisling Murray is the Newcastle/Gateshead Rose.
Originally from Co. Down, she moved to Britain in 2011 to study Medicine.
Currently completing a Masters of Research in Medical Sciences, she is researching an aggressive type of skin cancer in a bid to develop a new targeted drug.
A traditional Irish musician she has taken part in many years Fleadhs across Ireland and also plays in the City of Belfast Youth Orchestra and the Ulster Youth Orchestra.
An avid sports fan Aisling recently completed the Coast to Coast, cycling from one coast of England to the other and will take part in the Great North Run this year.
She's hoping to do her family proud in Tralee.
"I am the youngest of four sisters and am a doting aunty to twin girls, a little boy and soon to be an aunty again," she says.
"I am overwhelmed by the support I have received from my family and friends in taking part in the Rose of Tralee and am honoured to be representing Newcastle/ Gateshead, my home away from home."
Scotland Rose - Blathnaid Loughran
Blathnaid Loughran is the Scottish Rose.
The 26-year-old from Omagh, Co. Tyrone loves music, particularly jazz and blues by the likes of Etta James, Otis Redding and Joni Mitchell.
An English graduate from Queen’s University Belfast, Blathnaid was accepted into a Postgraduate Diploma in Education in
Glasgow University.
"I have always wanted to be a teacher," she syas. "My parents and my sister are all teachers. It is safe to say that teaching
is in my blood.
Describing herself as a lifelong piano player last month she played and sang at her sister’s wedding - despite also being a bridesmaid!
A qualified lifeguard, she says her main passion in life is friends and family.
Yorkshire Rose - Anne-Marie O’Donnell
This year’s Yorkshire Rose is Anne-Marie O’Donnell.
A 2010 graduate of Media Studies at Sheffield Hallam University, the 27-year-old works in marketing for a local arts and entertainment venue.
"I promote a wide range of cultural events, which include theatre, dance, community classes and large scale comedy and music shows. My dream job, although sometimes it's not always as glamorous as it sounds," she jokes.
Her Irish roots stem from both sides - her father is from Dublin and my maternal grandmother was from Kilkenny.
"My maternal grandfather was from the remote village of Furnish, Connemara, where I had a truly amazing experience meeting long lost relatives on a recent holiday," she says.
"Growing up, I would watch The Rose of Tralee on the television when visiting family in Kilkenny, and remember thinking that it must be every little girls dream to become a Rose."
The 2016 Roses are gearing up for the festival hosted by Dáithí Ó Sé. (Picture: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie)Over the coming days 32 of the 65 Roses in Tralee will be selected to take part in the televised show hosted by Dáithí Ó Sé in the Dome next Monday and Tuesday, August 22 and 23.
British centres have form in taking the crown in Kerry, featuring among the most successful Rose centres in the festival’s 57-year history.
London has won on three occasions (1975, 2009, 2010), while Birmingham came top twice, in 1967 and 1981.
The centre with the record number of successes however is Dublin, which won in 1959, 1962, 1969, 1989 and 2003.
In a change to the festival format, this year all 65 Irish and international Roses have been taking part in the pre-festival tour of Ireland, as well as the various parades and functions.
