  | Kate Scott performing on the harp at the Rose of Tralee. Photo from The Irish Times, Page 3, Aug 23rd. Read the fill article at The Irish Times  |
A unique opportunity
to represent Ottawa at the
Rose of Tralee
International Festival in Ireland
Applications for 2012 now available.
The Rose of Tralee festival is held annually at the end of August in Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland to choose a young woman to be crowned the Rose. The winning Rose is the woman deemed to best match the attributes relayed in the song “ The Rose of Tralee” who is "lovely and fair as the rose of summer, it was not her beauty alone that won me, oh no, ‘twas the truth in her eyes ever dawning, that made me love Mary, the Rose of Tralee".
The winner is selected based on her personality and should be a good role model for the festival and for Ireland during her travels around the world. In contrast to beauty pageants, there is no swimwear section in the Rose of Tralee contest and the contestants are not judged on their appearances but rather their over-all personality and suitability to serve as ambassadors for the festival.
Each of the 32 counties in Ireland selects a Rose in addition to one Rose from the 'gaeltacht' or Irish speaking areas in Ireland to take part in the International Rose of Tralee festival. Roses from Kerry, Dublin and Cork automatically qualify for the festival held in August.
There are
international Roses chosen from around the world who also participate
in the Rose of Tralee festival. These include the centres of
Birmingham, Boston, Darwin, Dubai, France, London, Luxembourg,
Newcastle, New York, New Orleans, New Zealand, Perth, Queensland, San
Francisco, Southern California, South Australia, Sydney, Texas,
Toronto and now Ottawa with many more centres takes part in the
qualifying rounds.
There are three centres in Canada. Toronto is celebrating 46 years as a centre. Edmonton joined in 2008 and Ottawa was established in 2009.
Under the rules of the competition, which is open to girls 18 – 28, participants are required to enter in the centre that is closest to their residence. A selection will be held in March when entrants will compete to win a trip to Ireland for a regional final in Ireland. This year the regional finals are scheduled for June 7 with the qualifiers being announced on Sunday June 6th. If the Ottawa Rose does qualify she will return to Ireland in and represent Ottawa in Tralee in August 2011.
Austin Comerton, President of the Rose of Tralee, Ottawa Centre says “This festival gives the hundreds of thousands of Irish descendants the opportunity to celebrate the very best of everything Irish. I am proud that Ottawa has the possibility to be represented again in Tralee in August 2011 at such a prestigious international festival.”
The Ottawa selection event is currently scheduled for Sunday March 13th. Applications need to be submitted by March 1st 2011. The entrants will participate in the St Patrick's Day Parade in Ottawa on March 12th and spend time with the judging panel over March 12th and 13th.
