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02 Jan 2026
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02 Jan 2026
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The New Zealand, Toronto, San Francisco and Antrim Roses joined in with traditional music and dance performance from Ballyboy Comhaltas dancers Sheeva Leamy and Clodagh Young
THIS year's Rose of Tralee contestants this week visited several places in Offaly, home county of Kinnitty hopeful, Allie Leahy.
The young Kinnitty woman (pictured below by photographer Niall O'Mara with Kinnitty publican and councillor John Clendennen), who works at the Pet Hospital in Tullamore, joined the other roses in Tullamore, Birr, Banagher, Clonmacnoise, Shannonbridge and Moneygall.
In O'Connor Square in Tullamore on Tuesday they enjoyed a sunsplashed official reception where they were greeted by County Council Cathaoirleach Eddie Fitzpatrick and enjoyed music from Ballyboy Comhaltas.
They also met Cllrs Neil Feighery, Sean O'Brien and (pictured) Declan Harvey.
The schedule then included a visit to Linda O'Brien's handcrafted jewellery and whiskey tasting at the Tullamore DEW Distillery Visitor Experience.
They were accompanied around Tullamore (see below) by a native of the town, Steve Cronly, who is a co-ordinator of the Rose of Tralee festival.
There was a ball at the County Arms Hotel in Birr, a visit to Birr Castle, a boat trip on the Shannon from Banagher marina, the Clonmacnoise monastic site and lunch at the Old Fort in Shannonbridge.
On Thursday the roses headed for Co Meath, taking in Causey Farm near Kells and the Porchfields medieval farmland near Trim.
On their way to Kerry, they were scheduled to stop at Moneygall, ancestral home of President Barack Obama, with a gala evening in the George Hotel, Limerick when the international roses and rose escorts were to meet for the first time.
The 2023 Rose Tour was sponsored by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) and was scheduled to conclude with the arrival in Tralee on Friday for the start of the 2023 Rose of Tralee International Festival.
The two big nights are on Monday and Tuesday, August 21 and 22 when the finals will be televised live from the Dome in Tralee.
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