Dancing her way to Tralee

I find Catherine Cullen out the back of the Mayflower Hotel just after lunchtime. She's on a short break from teaching sean-nós dancing at the Joe Mooney Summer School. Fresh from leading 65 children through steps she's been dancing since childhood, she finally gets a chance to catch her breath.

Her phone buzzes constantly. Rose of Tralee interviews, dress fittings, and plans for the weeks ahead are all competing for her attention.

It's clear she's already in Rose mode but Catherine admits she's been preparing for this moment for years. She's been attending the Rose of Tralee Festival since she was just six months old and has returned many years since.

She's already thinking about her party piece. "I think I'll do a bit of lilting," she says. "What does that sound like?" I ask. "The tradition of lilting is kind of making or singing a tune using made-up words such as like diddly-ah or skiddly. And there's kind of different forms of lilting depending on where you go in Ireland.”

The physiotherapy student will become the county's first representative at the Rose of Tralee since 2004, joining 32 Roses from Ireland and around the world.

"It's lovely to see the interest in dancing this year. We did a documentary teaching here last year and it really spiked the interest, I think, in the sean-nós. We're teaching kids between about five and 11 or 12 and they're all different levels, so it's kind of finding steps and stuff to suit that. It's exciting. It's something new every day."

For Catherine, that passion began close to home.

Although many now know her as the Leitrim Rose, she's simply a Carrick-on-Shannon girl who grew up between Carrick and Leitrim Village before discovering sean-nós dancing as a child.

"Edwina Guckian was teaching sean-nós dancing, so we just started going to her classes when I was about seven or eight and I kind of grew from there."

That one decision would shape her future.

Since then, dancing has carried her far beyond Leitrim. She's performed and taught in France, Bulgaria and Italy, with another exciting journey already planned.

"We've just been all over the world with our dancing, to be honest, in France and Bulgaria. I'm travelling to China next year with GCD to teach sean-nós dancing.

"The interest in it is amazing and people from all over the world just have such an interest in the traditions and everything."

It's not just dancing that fills her life. Catherine also plays the tin whistle and flute, spent several years learning the uilleann pipes with renowned musician Leonard Barry.

Catherine is an accomplished lilter, winning the All-Ireland title in 2024

"I play the tin whistle and the flute as well. Then I learned the uilleann pipes for a few years with Leonard Barry, but it's just kind of been on and off because I got very busy."

She's looking forward to meeting the 16 national Roses and 16 International Roses at Galway Races Ladies' Day.

"I've met a lot of the Irish Roses, but I haven't met the international girls yet," she says.

"It's been amazing, to be honest. It's been a childhood dream of mine for as long as I can remember.

"I've been fortunate enough to meet a lot of the past Roses. Maria Walsh was one that really stood out to me in particular. She was the Philadelphia Rose in 2014 and she just had such a special impact on me.

"So to be kind of in that position now, hopefully to leave a lovely impact on people and make people feel part of the experience is really special."

Like everything else in Leitrim, she says, the journey has become a community effort.

Local designer Joanne McGowan is creating her stage dress, while businesses and neighbours across the county have rallied around her.

"People are so generous with sponsorship and offering little pieces where they can along the way.

"It really feels like the whole county is behind us, which is really nice."

Away from dancing, Catherine is studying physiotherapy at University College Dublin.

It wasn't the career she originally imagined.

She first enrolled in an Arts degree, studying Irish, Maths and Music, while repeatedly sitting the HPAT in the hope of studying medicine.

Eventually, she realised another path suited her far better.

"I first started studying Irish and Irish maths and music in UCD as part of an Arts degree.

"I sat the HPAT twice because I initially wanted medicine, but it didn't work out. I wanted to change course, so I changed to physio.

"At the time people tell you it'll work out how it's meant to, and it's the last thing you want to hear.

"But I really do think it worked out for the best because I really love my course. It's so enjoyable and it's really interesting.

"Even the smallest acts of kindness can just have such a big impact on people."

She isn't sure yet where physiotherapy will eventually take her.

"There are loads of avenues. You could do cardiorespiratory physio, neurological physio working with stroke patients and people with MS, sports teams or dance physio.

"I'm only in first year, so I'm kind of playing it by ear. Hopefully I'd love to travel after."

Travelling isn't new to Catherine.

One memory that stands out is teaching traditional Irish music and dance in Venice alongside fellow students.

"I was in Venice last September teaching dancing and fiddle.

"It was probably the first proper experience I'd had teaching by myself. There were no older people there with us, so we were kind of thrown into it, but it was a really nice experience."

Closer to home, another place holds a special place in her heart — Cryan's Teach Cheoil in Carrick-on-Shannon where she works behind the bar there when she's home from college.

She says it isn't just the music she loves. It's the people.

"I love meeting the local characters and just hearing their stories because some of them mightn't see one person from one end of the week to the next.

"It's lovely if they just have a pint or two and they tell you what happened in their week because some of that generation are from an Ireland that we mightn't see again.

"Keeping those stories alive is really important and I feel really drawn to those stories and just being able to listen to them."

Asked what if she would like to win she instead talks about home.

"I'm just happy to be taking part and to be representing Leitrim. I don't think I'd be the person I am without the community that showed me so much kindness and encouragement growing up.”

As our conversation ends, another group of children are already gathering nearby, waiting patiently for their next sean-nós lesson.

In a few weeks, she'll walk on wearing the Leitrim sash.

But watching her here, surrounded by children eager to learn and determined to pass on a tradition she loves, it's easy to see the Leitrim Rose, Catherine Cullen is passionate about being an ambassador for her county.