“WE’VE ONLY HAD TWO NEW ZEALAND ROSES SELECTED AS THE INTERNATIONAL ROSE OF TRALEE, THE LAST IN THE 1980S, THIS REALLY MEANS SO MUCH TO ME” SAID THE 2024 INTERNATIONAL ROSE OF TRALEE –
– THIRD TIME NEW ZEALAND ROSE HAS BEEN SELECTED
TUESDAY 20 AUGUST 2024: Keely O’Grady has been announced as the 2024 International Rose of Tralee, becoming the third New Zealand Rose representing to take the title.
Keely was presented with her sash by the 2023 Rose of Tralee Róisín Wiley just after 11.30pm on Tuesday night.
The 21-year-old is a fourth-year student at Canterbury University, studying a Bachelor of Speech and Language Therapy.
RTÉ’s Dáithí Ó Sé and Kathryn Thomas made the announcement live from Kerry Sports Academy at MTU to local and global audiences following two sensational TV nights. Over the course of both nights, viewers tuned in from countries including Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, Thailand, Cayman Islands, Canada and the United States.
Keely was whisked away to the streets of Tralee for celebration, where she will be presented to the town of Tralee and serenaded in front of the thousands of people that have lined out for Midnight Madness and a fireworks display.
Following the announcement, a shocked Keely said; “We’ve only had two New Zealand Roses selected as the International Rose of Tralee, the last in the 1980s, this really means so much to me.”
As the 2024 Rose of Tralee, Keely will enjoy an extensive prize package that includes:
- World travel prize valued at €25,000
- Kia Niro plug-in hybrid for her year
- Complimentary accommodation at the 4-star Meadowlands Hotel every time she returns to Tralee during her year
- Sean Taaffe Hair and Beauty will provide hair styling to the Rose of Tralee during her year
- Kerry County Council will host the Rose of Tralee, and a guest, to a weeklong adventure break in the Kingdom
32 International Roses from communities across Ireland and around the world took part in the 2024 Rose of Tralee International Festival. Across five days, the International Roses, Rose Escorts and Rose Centres all enjoyed the superb hospitality on offer in Tralee and a whole host of street entertainment and festivity including parades, music events, as part of the Féile Trá Lí street festival which coincided with the Rose of Tralee International Festival.
ENDS
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