There are a lot of good omens for Galway Rose Deirdre Jennings as she prepares to head to Tralee this weekend for ten days of joyous fun and performance for the 2024 International Rose of Tralee festival.
Deirdre is a social worker, as was the first winner of the Galway Rose to win the overall title, Sheila Lalor in 1980; and on the judging panel will sit Luzveminda O’Sullivan, the last Galway Rose to become Rose of Tralee in 1998. Both 1980 and 1998 were iconic GAA years in Galway, as has this year with county teams appearing in a scattering of finals.
This year, ‘Mindy’ is part of the judging panel which also includes Galway Bay fm’s Ollie Turner, who was himself adjudicated this summer when he won a seat on Galway County Council.
Under the new regionalised system, the Galway Rose holds the title for two years and gets to be part of the Tralee pageant once in When she spoke to the Advertiser last evening, she was in the process of accessorising and packing which sounded a lot more complicated than for the normal break away.
‘I have to have outfits for 20 events over ten days, a mixture of everyday, cocktail and evening wear. We are allowed to bring two suitcases and one dress bag, so I’m not the best at packing as it is, but this will be some challenge,” she laughed.
Deirdre has always been a fan of the festival and recalled watching it with her family when growing up.
“I used to be watching and saying that someday I want to be the Galway Rose. Of course, as you get older, you develop more doubts about that, but I think this has come at the right time for me in terms of how I will embrace it. The Rose is about celebrating empowerment and making lifelong friends and sharing stories and journeys.”
She will not be without support in Tralee as family and friends are heading south to cheer her on. Already, she has met some of the other Roses as they were in Galway for the races last week.
“We had a great time. I met some in Killarney before that and I can tell I am going to enjoy every minute of it,” she said, adding that she is going to perform the musical party piece she did in the Galway final.
The draw to determine which Roses appear on which night will be held othe weekend after next.
