Rose of Tralee Regional Festival

The Rose of Tralee Regional Festival are held every year before the Rose of Tralee International Festival to determine which Roses will represent their territories at the International Festival in August.

The event was originally established in 2004 in recognition of the fact that now every county in Ireland selects a Rose, and that there are now nearly 70 Rose Centres around the world. The Regional Festival is therefore the event that has been established to get this number of Roses down to the 32 Roses that appear on the RTÉ television show in August.

All Roses who take part have won Rose Selection heats in their own regions. Judges at the Regional Festival will choose a number of Roses from each region who will then join Roses from Cork, Dublin and Kerry at the International Festival in August.

The 2013 Rose of Tralee Regional Festival will take place at the Portlaoise Heritage Hotel, Co Laois from 29th May to 2nd June 2013.

Roses from around the world join those from Ireland to take part in a parade through the centre of town and will visit to top Laois attractions.

The Rose of Tralee Regional Festival is hosted by Dáithí Ó Sé who interviews each Rose on stage at the Portlaoise Heritage Hotel over three nights, followed by music and dancing until late after the show is over. 

Regional Festival - click on this link to find out what the 2012 Regional Festiva Roses had to say about their experience in Portlaoise.

Download the 2013 Regional Festival Brochure