Grace O’Connor Astonished by Support at Rose of Tralee

Grace O’Connor, who is representing Westmeath at this year’s Rose of Tralee, has expressed her astonishment and satisfaction at the overwhelming support and unexpected joys of the festival. While speaking to Westmeath Examiner writer Pat O’Rourke, Grace admitted that her experience was everything she did not expect, with the number of activities she had to partake in being numerous. In addition, the constant activity, as well as support and pleasant surprises on behalf of her adherents, allowed Grace to temporarily forget about all of her concerns.

As O’Rourke states, since Grace was quite anxious about finding the perfect outfit for the festival, it was a good relief on behalf of the community to get enough support and be concerned about unity rather than clothing. Furthermore, since being a part of the Muiríosa Foundation in Mullingar, Grace works as a careworker, she also highlighted the sense of camaraderie which she was able to accomplish with participants: “I went down first thinking I wouldn’t bond with anybody and made friends for life”.

Indeed, according to O’Rourke, many festival participants shared the feeling of making friends with people they are supposed to compete with. The same could be said about Roscommon Rose Rachel Hastings: “By the time I had left I had 56 new friends”. A home economics lecturer and farming influences, Rachel aims to promote “sustainability and zero waste”. Therefore, this year’s festival is not just a tremendous display of culture and charm but also a subtle way to discuss matters of concern.

On the one hand, as the festival continues, the performances of these women are also indirectly about their lives and the communities they are representing. On the other hand, the Rose of Tralee is a significant cultural event, which is truly important for the nation itself. That is because, while each year, the festival also discusses contemporary issues, it is gradually replenished with new characters and their personalities. For example, the rise of sustainability culture and changes in Irish society allow people such as Grace and Rachel to present their values to a broad Irish audience and possibly impact future cultural trends and sustainability in the country.