Kildare's Rose, Ashleigh Byrne from Newbridge, says being crowned was 'like a dream come true'
Kildare's Rose for 2022 has said that she is most looking forward to being 'the most authentic version of herself' at the International Festival in Tralee later this summer.
25-year-old Ashleigh Byrne managed to come out on top over 26 other potential Roses from Kildare on the Kildare Rose selection event on Friday night, which was held at Barberstown Castle in Straffan.
The Newbridge native said about the night: "It was just so surreal, but I am over the moon to be crowned the Rose of Kildare.
"I'm still overwhelmed by it all; it's like a dream come true," she said: "and the support that I have received from family and friends... to see it on such a big scale, it's just spectacular."
Ashleigh, who graduated with a degree in Sculpture and Combined Media from the Limerick School of Art and Design, said that while she was always a casual fan of the competition, she only began to give it serious thought over the past two years, when her boyfriend suggested that she go for it.
Luckily, Ashleigh's big break came from 'the absolutely beautiful' Monica Doyle of Newbridge Silverware, whom she met and befriended when she was employed at the venue's café.
CONTRIBUTION
At the competition, Ashleigh wowed the judges with her spoken-word poem, 'A heart opening.'
She told the Leader: "During lockdown, I ended up journaling and scribbling to pass the time... the competition doesn't usually allow poems, but I am glad they made an exception for me!
"It felt good to be able to read it out in front of 300 people, and to own it as part of myself," she explained.
Ashleigh also said that she enjoyed meeting host Marty Morrissey on the night, referring to him as an 'unbelievable presenter, who was able to give every one of the girls the presence that they deserved.'
PERSONAL HIGHLIGHT
When asked what the best part of the night for her was, Ashleigh said: "The best part was meeting the other candidates.
"They were all incredible, I don't have a bad word to say about them. Everyone just felt like they were in the same boat."
Ashleigh added that she felt empowered by being a Rose for Kildare, calling it 'an achievement to be able to represent your county's pride and joy.'
She also said that she cannot wait to attend the Rose of Tralee competition: "I'm very excited; I want to be able to express the most authentic version of myself, and to be able to look back (in a few years' time) and know that it really was the experience of a lifetime."
Ashleigh was accompanied by a number of supporters on the night, including: her mother Debbie Lysaght, her father Mick Byrne, her brother Shane Byrne, her boyfriend Cianan Curran, Cianan's father Denis Curran, and her friends Emma Cleary, Clodagh Laffan and Fiona Gordon.
She attended the Holy Family Secondary School in Newbridge and currently works in the Art Department of Ardmore Studios.