Rose of Tralee host Dáithí Ó Sé has said this year's group of hopefuls are a "great bunch" as he launched the festival with the 57 Roses in Dublin on Wednesday.
Dáithí has been hosting the show since 2010 and he said it feels as though the time between each Rose of Tralee comes around "faster every year."
"Do you know what, it's funny, I feel like we're doing two a year; we do one during the summer and one at Christmas." he told RTÉ Entertainment.
Speaking about this year's Roses, Dáithí said, "We have 57 different personalities from all around the world and they're just a great bunch... You'd swear they knew each other all their lives and that's something really special."
Every year Dáithí is known for getting involved with some of the contestant's party pieces and this time around he is really for the challenge yet again.
"The amount of times they said to me yesterday, 'Oh yeah, there's a party piece, but we need you'. So yeah I'll be involved in a few of them, but it's brilliant, it's great," he said.
"You have some serious singers and dancers and they do what they do on a semi-professional level, but the peculiar party pieces are always of interest too. They always need a little bit of help - or hindrance if you like - but it's all part of the fun and the show as well.
"You've no business hosting the Rose of Tralee if you're not going to get involved with all of these things."
The Roses have been singing Dáithí's praises, commending him for putting them at ease.
"Daithi is just a joke isn't he, he's so fabulous. He's putting us all at ease, he's encouraging us to try to remember as much of the week as we can and have a ball because it's a once in a lifetime opportunity. He's great craic," Florida Rose Victoria Sexton said.
Kerry Rose Celine O'Shea added, "He's brilliant, I've been lucky, he does the Kerry selection so I've been through everything with him.
"He just makes you feel so calm and relaxed and reassures you it'll be fine and he's been through it so many years, so it's great to have that reassurance and feel relaxed."
The Rose of Tralee is broadcast live on RTÉ One from the festival dome in Kerry at 8.00pm on Monday, August 20 and Tuesday, August 21 with a break for the Nine O’Clock News.
