Reason why Rose of Tralee winner didn't get a tiara this year - as RTE reveals her incredible prize
This year's Rose of Tralee, New Zealand Rose Keely O'Grady, did not receive a tiara as part of her win. Instead, she will receive a lavish prize package including holidays and a new car.
This year's Rose of Tralee, New Zealand Rose Keely O'Grady, didn't get a tiara after she was named winner of the festival. She came out top of 32 Roses who graced the stage in Tralee on Monday and Tuesday, representing everywhere from Dubai to Wexford.
On the first night, 18 women addressed the audience, followed by another 14, before the 21-year-old Speech and Language Therapy student at Canterbury University was crowned the 64th Rose of Tralee Festival.
Keely is set to receive several incredible prizes, but none of them include a tiara. In previous years, Waterford Crystal and Tipperary Crystal designed a bespoke tiara for the newly crowned Rose. However, the tradition was scrapped in 2022 by festival bosses and the same protocol has followed since.
The decision to scrap the tiara was based on feedback from the public. The 2022 Rose of Tralee winner, Westmeath Rose Rachel Duffy, previously explained that the change was about sending a message to young girls watching the show.
READ MORE: Irish households must shut windows 'at all times' for next six weeks
READ MORE: Supermarket shoppers finally learn trick to unlock trolleys without a coin
She told Radio Kerry at the time: "For all the young girls out there, it's about developing self-confidence and being okay with being yourself. You don't need a tiara to be a winner."
RTE confirmed to RSVP Live that “there is no tiara” for the winning Rose, after previously explaining that they will continue to follow this process.
Instead, the New Zealand Rose will be given a lavish prize package that includes holidays and a new car.
The 2024 Rose of Tralee package 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
Members of the public had plenty to say last year when New York Rose Roisin Wiley didn't receive the iconic headpiece, taking to social media to voice their opinions. One person ran a poll on X, formerly known as Twitter, asking, 'Should the winning rose get a tiara?', with an overwhelming majority (87.5%) in favour of bringing the headpiece back.
One viewer wrote at the time: "Imagine not having the moment of the crown/tiara going on? Like putting a sash on, that looks the same as the one you’ve been wearing for two weeks is hardly the same 'moment' on stage."
A second added: "The New York Rose was fab. Love it. Soooo disappointing that there is no Tiara with several years though. They should bring it back."
Join the Irish Mirror’s breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive breaking news and the latest headlines direct to your phone. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Related
Share this page
Guest Posts by Easy Branches
