Britain hosts its own alternative competition following a dispute with Rose of Tralee organisers.
The British Rose associations fell out with the Rose of Tralee festival in 2000, when asked for £1,500 for each entrant sent to the competition. According to Debbie Hendry, herself a former winner:
We felt insulted, we felt hurt.... in Britain itself, our girls enter because they want to enter, not because a company sponsors them to enter. So in that respect, we don't have surplus moneys.
In Britain the feeling was that the festival generated millions for Tralee, while their own work was voluntary. The 'Irish Post' newspaper stepped in and it was decided to host an alternative competition in London for the winners of the regional titles of Leeds Rose, Midlands Rose, Wales Rose, London Rose and Manchester Rose.
Michael O'Kane reports on the "Real Irish Rose' ball. He meets Orla McLoughlin, South Wales Rose, who says she can't compare it to anything else.
An RTÉ News report from 5 August 2000.
