Glamorous Rose of Tralee bandwagon to arrive in Athlone today

Athlone will get a taste of the glamour of the Rose of Tralee today (Thursday) as contestants touchdown in the town for a brief stop-off.

Katie Murphy, the current Westmeath Rose, will welcome the 34 Roses bidding to win the 2014 International Rose of Tralee crown to Athlone on Thursday afternoon around 12.30pm.

The group is due to enjoy lunch in the Radisson Blu Hotel and a brief photo-call along the banks of the Shannon as part of the five-day Rose tour, before departing for Limerick city where they are due to overnight en-route to Tralee for the beginning of the festival proper.

The Roses started their Irish experience at the home the festival’s lead sponsors, Newbridge Silverware, on Sunday, August 10 last, followed by visits to top tourist attractions in Dublin the following day and a visit to Strokestown Famine Park and Lough Rynn Castle in Leitrim on Monday and Tuesday.

The Athlone-leg of the tour is set to be a bit of homecoming for Toronto Rose Katie Blundell, who has cousins in Athlone, Ballinasloe, and Ahascragh, along with extensive links to Roscommon through her grandfather, and was based herself for several years in Galway in her teenage years.