Earlier today, Dáithí Ó Sé and new co-host Kathryn Thomas officially introduced this year's 32 Roses ahead of the 2023 Rose of Tralee International Festival, which will be broadcast live on Monday 21st and Tuesday 22nd August on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.
Dressed in red for a flower-filled photoshoot at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham in Dublin, before continuing their journey to Tralee, the 32 hopefuls were raring to go for this year's competition.
From firefighters living in San Francisco to school teachers hailing from Co. Carlow, we caught up with just some of the Roses ahead of the festival to get a snapshot of this year's competition.
San Francisco Rose: Katie McFadden
Katie McFadden is a 22-years-old fire fighter living in San Francisco, California. She aspires to become Captain of the San Francisco Fire Department and hopes that by doing so, she will inspire future generations of women.
"I work 72 hour shifts, so three days, and then I get four days off where I get to hang out with my friends, my family, and explore the city and surrounding areas," she told RTÉ Lifestyle. "It's amazing. It's so much fun and it's a lot, but it's something where you learn every day. The days are so different and that's what I love about it the most."
With two maternal grandparents from Co. Kerry (Ballyheigue and Causeway) and a paternal grandfather was raised in Donegal, Katie says she always dreamed of taking part in the Rose of Tralee.
Now that she has finally arrived, she hopes to use her platform to let little girls know that they can grow up to be whatever they want to be.
"I would love to talk about how women can do anything. For me, it's such a big thing, especially in the fire service where women are a minority; it's a very male dominated community and career in general.
"I love, at work, when I see a little girl who has been so excited to see a fire fighter and they see a woman, and they're so excited and they're thrilled because they know they can do it."
Dublin Rose: Bethany Cushing
Bethany Cushing is a 27-year-old Rose of many roots; growing up in the Falkland Islands, London, and Ballyhea, Co. Cork, she finally settled down in Co. Dublin.
Bethany moved to the capital in 2013 to attend Trinity College Dublin where she studied to become a Radiation Therapist for St Luke’s Radiation Oncology Network. In 2020, she started in the Royal College of Surgeons and is about to start her fourth year as a medical student.
In the future, she hopes to work in Obstetrics and Gynaecology as she has a keen interest in women’s health which she hopes to use her platform to discuss while taking part in the Rose of Tralee.
"I've a real interest in women's health, gynecology, and obstetrics and I just want to use my platform to kind of promote that and promote a platform for talking about it.
"I'm 27 now so I'm at the later end of my 20s and it's really interesting talking to friends and family and even the other Roses now about the things that everyone has been through as a woman and experiences they've had, whether it's going to the doctor or health issues."
Carlow Rose: Caoimhe Deering
Caoimhe Deering is a 22-year-old secondary school teacher from County Carlow. When she's out of the classroom, Caoimhe is massively involved in the GAA. As well as playing herself, she is a qualified referee and is managing and coaching the under-12 girls' team in Rathvilly.
The Carlow Rose hopes to use her time in the competition to inspire young girls and teenagers to stay involved in athletics: "In teenage years, I think a lot of girls taper off and don't keep up sports so I want to use this platform to encourage as many as possible to keep it up."
Likewise, she encourages any sporty girls to step out of the comfort zone and consider taking part in something like the Rose of Tralee: "I'd be a lot more sporty so I never thought I'd be able to do this and all the dressing up, but it's something I've grown up with and I think it's a huge privilege," she says.
"The friendships we've made in the last three or four days, it's amazing. I just feel like I've been with the girls the whole time and I've known them the whole time," she explains. "I would be quite a confident and independent person but it's been really nice to have similar people in a similar situation."
"The girls I've met have made it such a great experience so far."
Laois Rose: Sinead Dowd
Sinead Dowd is a 25-year-old secondary school teacher living in Cullohill, Co. Laois. Born and raised in New York by Irish parents, she made the solo move to Ireland at the age of 16, and says that she hopes to encourage young people to follow their gut and take big leaps.
"My message is to follow your dreams and do what you want to do and it will all work out in the end."
As well as signing up to the Rose of Tralee, Dowd has truly embraced her Irish roots by taking up Gaelic football with Shanahoe LGFA. All these new experiences have encouraged her to become more confident and independent.
"I wouldn't be used to public speaking other than a classroom which is quite different - they're kids - so it's given me confidence and I love the female empowerment aspect of it all," she says of the festival.
New York Rose: Róisín Wiley
At just 27 years of age, Róisín Wiley is a VP of national sales at a consumer marketing company, managing a territory of OTC and Pharmaceutical accounts in New York City.
Based in Manhattan, Róisín has Irish roots through her parents who were raised in Co. Limerick (her mother is from Templeglantine while her father is from Kilmallock). The couple emigrated to America in their 20s where they had their two children in Westchester, NY.
"My whole extended family is still here [in Ireland], so the Rose of Tralee has been in the family for my whole life so I was happy to be able to go for it in New York this year," she says. "It's been hard to put words to it, honestly. It's been unreal."
"I'm really passionate about helping women and young people find their confidence and find their purpose and strength," she continues. "I think over the past few years, at least personally, I had a bit of a hard time finding what made me feel strong and beautiful and being a part of this festival... I participated in 2022 as well and I became a part of this group of women that just helped me find my confidence and strength."
The Rose of Tralee will be available to watch for free, live and on-demand by audiences in Ireland and around the world on RTÉ Player.
