Laois branch of Rose of Tralee officially launched their search to find the next Laois Rose in Castle Durrow on Sunday, January 20.
Ireland’s most famous family festival is celebrating 60 years in existence, and a much-welcomed revamp is also taking place this year.
The regional qualification has been removed so that all the Roses in Tralee will feature in the TV broadcast from the final in the Dome on RTÉ.
Each Rose Centre will now select a Rose every two years, to make 32 Roses a year.
This means that Laois can send a Rose to the Dome in 2019, but it will be 2021 before the next Rose of the county is chosen.
The Laois Rose selection takes place on Good Friday, April 19.
Roses representing Kerry, Cork and Dublin will continue to be selected every year.
So what does it take to become at Rose? Here are some of the entry requirements below:
- Be 18 years of age by January 1st 2019 and will not have reached your 28th birthday on or prior to September 1st 2019.
- Be unmarried or never been married.
- Be female, born in Ireland or an Irish citizen or of Irish origin by virtue of one of your ancestors having been born in Ireland.
- For applicants residing outside the island of Ireland – be living in the region you wish to represent for a minimum of one year and recommend that if selected as the Rose that you will remain resident in this region for the following 12 months.
- Never have previously represented any Centre as a Rose in the Regional Festival or International Rose of Tralee Selection.
- Be available for Rose Selection events and if selected be available for International Festival events.
The Diamond Jubilee Rose of Tralee will drive away from Tralee in a brand new KIA from McElligotts Tralee, a World Travel Prize valued at €25,000 and a week-long holiday in Kerry from Kerry County Council.
Every return visit to Tralee during the 2019 Rose of Tralee’s reign will be spent at the magnificent 4-star Rose Hotel, the home to the Rose of Tralee International Festival.
The 2019 Rose of Tralee International Festival will run from Friday 23 to Tuesday 27 August.
So whether you’re a budding Rose or hopeful Rose Escort, anyone interested in going forward can apply online here.
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