Kerry Rose of Tralee hopeful Celine O'Shea can't wait to get back to her home county for this year's festival as it provided some "magic" childhood memories for her.
Celine told RTÉ Entertainment that she "can't even explain how amazing it is" to be the Kerry Rose as it's "a festival I've grown up with."
The 25-year-old from Cahersiveen has many childhood memories of going to the festival with her family and finds it "surreal" now to be on the other side of things.
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"I would've gone there nearly every year, my mum and dad would've brought us when we were younger," she told RTÉ Entertainment.
"I would've gone around the town getting autographs from all the Roses, so it's surreal having girls coming up to us looking for autographs from us."
"The parade on the Saturday night has always just been magic and has always stood out. When I think back to when I was younger it was like a live Disney movie," she recalled.
Being the Kerry Rose, there is an element of homecoming for Celine with the festival, and she is looking forward to seeing "how passionate everyone in Kerry is about it and seeing the community spirit and my own family."
Celine was speaking at the RTÉ launch of the Rose of Tralee, where all 57 hopefuls gathered with host Dáithí Ó Sé. The occasion marked one of the first events that brought all of the contestants together, and Celine already knows they have made friends for life.
"We've only been together, the whole lot of us, for two days, but you just gel so quickly it's amazing," she said.
"It's just unbelievable but we're all so driven to be a part of this so we have the mindset to be here, so we're similar in ways but everyone, honest to God, are so nice, it's just brilliant."
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.
