Kilkenny Rose Lisa is all set for the Rose of Tralee Festival!

“My granny’s name was Rose and she would have made the perfect Rose of Tralee,” says the Kilkenny Rose, Lisa O’Rourke.

As Lisa prepares for the International Rose of Tralee Festival, starting later this week, she can’t help but keep her granny’s memory close. 

“She was such a lady; she knew everyone and everything going on in the world. For someone who was 98 she was an inspiration. She had a positive outlook on life,” Lisa says. 

Granny Rose and Lisa were close friends, especially so after Lisa’s mum passed away, several years ago. Rose loved to hear about what Lisa was up to and one of their favourite things to do together was to watch the Rose of Tralee every year.

A Cavan woman originally, Granny Rose did have divided loyalties, but she always supported the Kilkenny Rose too. 

“I know she would have loved this. It’s a great ode to her,” Lisa said of her participation in the Rose of Tralee. 

Taking part in the local competition this year was partly to honour her late granny Rose, who passed away last summer, as well as for her own enjoyment.

Still, Lisa needed a little extra encouragement, and that came from her friends.

Coincidentally Lisa is good friends with the last Kilkenny Rose, Molly Coogan. Both ladies are part of the Castlecomer Pantomime group, which they are now calling the ‘Rose Bootcamp’! 

It was another panto colleague, musical director Ollie Hennessy, who also ‘egged her on.’ Ollie is also the musical director of the Rose of Tralee televised event and encouraged Lisa to enter.

Having watched and admired the Roses for years, Lisa felt the time was right to enter this year. 

Two years ago she supported Molly Coogan in Tralee and a cousin, Kevin Tynan, took part as an escort, so she knew how much fun it could be.

And from the start of the process Lisa has had a wonderful time, even before the Kilkenny selection. In the run up to the special night the Kilkenny Rose hopefuls took part in a series of events together, to get to know each other. Lisa found those meets up a lovely experience and the girls have become friends. A group even travelled together to the Tipperary Rose Selection night.

The day of the Kilkenny Rose selection was a long one, with Lisa having her interview with the judges at 9am but being the last Rose to be  interviewed on stage that evening! 

Although it was the ‘longest night of her life,’ Lisa says she never thought she would be chosen as the Kilkenny Rose. She says the surprise was like an “out of body experience.”

Then she heard the excited roars of her family and friends in the audience and Molly placed the Rose sash on her.

It was a magical night, Lisa says.

This year’s Rose of Tralee International Festival will take place in the Kerry town from August 16 to 20. In advance of that Lisa will be working with her ‘Rose Committee’ to get ready - her aunts Maura Tynan and Siobhán McEvoy. As well as planning a Castlecomer exodus to Tralee and curating Lisa’s festival wardrobe, her aunts will be making sure to have some stand-out banners to wave in support!

Lisa’s extended family are all planning the trip - including her brothers Eoin and Darragh who are giving up their Electric Picnic weekend to support their big sister, and her grandad Johnny O’Rourke who is 91. 

Secretly, Lisa is a bit jealous of all the craic her family and friend are going to have in Tralee, but she’s sure she’ll have just as much fun being part of the festival.

As she takes on the role of Kilkenny Rose, Lisa has great support from Molly Coogan. Having known each other for a long time Lisa regards Molly as both a little and older sister! Molly is younger but has great advice on the Rose experience. It’s so special to be able to share the experience with her, Lisa says, and such a joy.

Looking forward to the experience, Lisa says she sees the Rose of Tralee Festival as a celebration of Irish women, but also Ireland as a culture that has spread around the world. 

“I think it’s so modern in what it stands for and how it represents women in Ireland,” she says. The winner every year really showcases what it’s all about, on the tour and during the time in Tralee. They try to represent themselves, their county and their family the best they can.”

“This means so much to me, but also my wide family circle. We’re all so close, because my mam passed away, my cousins are like siblings.

“I am so happy to get this far. Tralee is the cherry on top. I don’t know what’s to come in the next week or month but if it’s anything like it’s been so far I’ll be happy out,” Lisa says.