Picking the budding Roses

One of Ireland’s most enduring festivals, The Rose of Tralee, is beckoning for one Breffni lady as the local organisers set about searching for the 2020 Cavan Rose. This year sees the introduction of the new format where the Cavan Rose 2020 will go straight to Tralee to appearing on the televised RTE final with Daithí O’ Sé.
Preparations for the Cavan leg are in train and budding roses are being sought to represent their county. Laura Galligan is running the Cavan centre this year. The 2014 Cavan Rose says the new format has many positives: “It’s a huge change to the festival. It’s better for the Cavan winning rose as the process of reducing 66 roses to 32 won’t happen in Tralee.”
The co-ordinator says that six years on from her initial involvement she is still very connected to the Rose Festival: “My sister Sinéad and I are working on it again this year. I keep saying it will be my last year, because I work in Dublin, but I want to do it for Cavan. It will be great to have a Cavan Rose on the TV in August.”
The committee are hosting an information evening in the Kilmore Hotel this Friday, February 7 at 8pm. The Cavan Rose Selection will be on Friday, April 3 in the Kilmore.
Laura says they have had a good deal of interest: “People have been nominated, have made nominations themselves, and we are hoping that the information evening will attract even more prospective Roses.”
“We hope to have some ‘getting to know each other’ events with the candidates in the coming weeks.
“Applications can be made through the Rose of Tralee website www.roseoftralee.ie or you can nominate your daughter, sister, niece, aunt, cousin, friend through the Cavan Rose Facebook page or Instagram page,” Laura said.
Sponsorship is a part of the process. Laura believes that guaranteeing the Cavan Rose will be on TV in August should make that more attractive: “The sponsorship is €300, which goes to Tralee for the running of the event. We will also be looking for Rosebuds and Escorts. Tralee are looking for Escorts as well. It would be nice to get a Cavan Escort to take part this year.”
Laura says the experience is unique: “I did it six years ago and I’m best friends with all the Roses and Escorts that were part of that. I was in Canada in November at the wedding of one of my Rose friends. You make friendships for life with people from all over the world.
“I didn’t get to the stage in Tralee, but it didn’t make a difference. We are all such close friends. People are getting married, having babies. You grow with your Rose family. It’s a tremendous opportunity to meet people that you would never otherwise meet,” Laura concluded.