Fancy being the Westmeath Rose 2014?

Rosemount native Niall O’Brien is encouraging local girls who want to make lifelong friends and have the experience of a lifetime to enter the 2014 Westmeath Rose competition.

The former Rose of Tralee escort, who is part of the current Westmeath Rose organising committee, made the appeal following a visit to Mullingar last week by the current Rose of Tralee, Haley O’Sullivan.

Haley O’Sullivan, who represented Texas at the international festival this year was accompanied to the launch event by the current Westmeath Rose, Shauna Coyne from Milltownpass.  

Speaking about her term as Westmeath Rose, Shauna expressed her delight at being chosen to represent the county, before enthusing about some of the events she had the honour of attending over the last few months.

However, her year is far from finished as she embarks on two major upcoming trips shortly, the first being to volunteer in an orphanage in Chernobyl with Adi Roche’s Chernobyl Children International charity, and then in March she will head to the USA where she will march with other Roses in the New York St Patrick’s Day parade.

“This has just been such a wonderful experience where I made so many friends and got the chance to experience so much as the Westmeath Rose,” explained Shauna at the launch of the Westmeath Rose competition last week.
“ I would genuinely encourage every young man and woman to get involved with the festival as it is such a brilliant experience and one I will treasure for the rest of my life,” she concluded.

The selection event will take place this year in the Annebrook House Hotel, Mullingar on April 5, having been held in Athlone for the last few years.

The Rose of Tralee, Haley O’Sullivan, hopes to return to Mullingar for the selection night.

Anybody interested in entering this years Westmeath Rose contest is encouraged to contact the organisers by email: westmeathroseoftralee@gmail.com or find us on Facebook and send a private message. Alternatively, call 087 3942449.