There has been some interest in the Rose of Tralee betting market in the past week, with reports of substantial support for London Rose, Aisling Hillary.
Ms Hillary, a doctor in the Chelsea and Westminster hospital is the daughter of Angela and Tom Hillary who operate the Corrib Haven B&B in Newcastle and are natives of the New Inn area. The 27-year-old grew up in Holland, where her parents lived for a time, but the family returned to Galway where Aisling completed her secondary school education before going to the UK to undertake her medical training. She also completed a stint working in the A&E Department of University Hospital Galway.
Along with her work as a doctor, she is also an accomplished fiddle and keyboard player, a champion Irish dancer, and a member of the Fulham Irish GAA Club in London.
Aisling was selected as the London Rose in May to go forward to the regional finals in Portlaoise in early June. Following qualification there, she is now eagerly anticipating the grand final in Tralee in August.
Having initially been installed at 25/1 in the Rose of Tralee betting, the Galway woman is now into 16/1 following hefty bets in both Kerry and Galway on Tuesday evening.
Dublin Rose, Aisling Finnegan, currently heads the betting at 7/2, with the Abu Dhabi Rose (4/1 ), New York Rose (9/2 ), and Dubai Rose (9/2 ) hot on her heels.
BoyleSports’ spokesperson Liam Glynn said The Rose of Tralee market was certainly blooming over the last week. “There has been plenty of support coming in for some of the roses. At present, if the Louth Rose wins, she will cost us a five figure sum.’’
He added “We laid two €200 bets on the London Rose at 20/1 in a Galway shop and a Kerry shop on Tuesday evening and our traders have had no choice but to prune her price into 16/1. We could be plucking thorns from our wounds in BoyleSports Head Office if either the London or Louth Rose triumph in Tralee next month.”
