New York Rose Róisín Wiley has been crowned the 2023 International Rose of Tralee.
The 27-year-old, who lives in Manhattan and works in sales and marketing, said her win on Tuesday night had left her "speechless".
"I'm so thankful, and I'm just so excited for the next year," she told the audience at the Kerry Sports Academy on the Munster Technological University campus.
"Oh my goodness, wow. I'm amazed. I'm so thankful for meeting all these girls... Thank you to everyone."
On a night that once again celebrated family and community, Róisín said that taking part in the Rose of Tralee had been "a big part of my life in helping me find my strength and my confidence" after the pandemic.
"I think all the girls and I can attest to the fact that the Rose of Tralee just makes you feel empowered by what makes you feel beautiful yourself. So everything that makes us different and makes us who we are is really what kind of embodies what the Rose of Tralee [is about].
"Pursuing this now has been such a perfect opportunity for me, as I'm kind of later in my 20s, finding myself. It's been amazing."
For her performance, Róisín sang The Cottage with the Horseshoe O'er the Door.
"It's a song that my late grandfather Charlie O'Reilly would sing all the time, and my mom told me it's the first song that she sang to me in the hospital when I was born. So I'd love to sing it for my family," she said.
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Róisín's parents, Eddie and Majella, were born and raised in Co Limerick.
Majella is from Templeglantine, and Eddie is from Kilmallock.
They emigrated to New York in their 20s, with Róisín saying they "built an amazing life for my younger brother John and I in Westchester, NY".
She said her family "have been blessed to travel to Ireland every year - and now a bit more often to cheer on the Limerick hurlers".
More:
Rose of Tralee 2023: Best moments from night two
Rose of Tralee 2023: Best moments from night one
Click here to watch all the action for both night on RTÉ Player
