Rose of Tralee was ‘everything I could have hoped for’: Rebecca

By Rebekah O'Reilly

For Roscommon Rose Rebecca Collins, the Rose of Tralee experience was about far more than the stage and television cameras. The Kiltoom native describes it as an experience she is deeply grateful to have been part of, and one she knows she will look back on for the rest of her life.

“Firstly, what an experience! One that I am so grateful I got to be a part of and one that I know I will look back on for the rest of my life,” Rebecca said.

“It is honestly hard to put the last few weeks into words, the people I’ve met, the places I’ve visited, the laughs, the tears, the nerves, the excitement and the memories made along the way. It has been everything I could have hoped for and so much more.”

One of the aspects of the festival that surprised Rebecca most was the sheer scale of the organisation behind it, and the huge contribution made by volunteers.

“Until you are actually part of it, I don’t think you can fully appreciate the sheer number of volunteers involved or the amount of time, organisation and work that goes into making the festival run so smoothly,” she said.

“There are so many people giving up their time, many of whom the public will never see, and I came away with a huge appreciation for every one of them.”

Rebecca also gained an insight into the work that goes into producing the live television shows, something she said gave her a new appreciation for what viewers see on screen.

“It was also fascinating to get an insight into how RTÉ works and what goes into producing the live television shows,” she said.

“At home, we see a few hours of television on Monday and Tuesday night, but being there showed me just how much preparation, rehearsal, planning and teamwork goes into putting those hours on screen.”

But perhaps her greatest learning came from the bonds formed with her fellow Roses. The 24-year-old said the intense nature of the festival meant the Roses experienced every emotion together.

“At the end of the day, we were all in the same boat, and having that support from the other Roses made such a difference,” Rebecca said. “I can genuinely say that I have made friends for life through this festival.”

Those friendships extended beyond the Roses themselves, with families and friends also forming new connections during the festival.

“One of the loveliest parts of Tralee was seeing our families meet one another after hearing so much about each other throughout the tour,” Rebecca said.

“Our families and friends formed friendships of their own, and I think many of those will last just as long as ours will.”

For Rebecca, however, the greatest achievement of her Rose of Tralee journey was not connected to the stage or television.

“When I look back on the entire experience, I think my biggest accomplishment has very little to do with standing on the stage or appearing on television,” she said.

“For me, the thing I am most proud of is the way this journey brought people together.”

She reflected on the way the experience gave her community something positive to celebrate.

“This experience brought joy to far more people than just me,” she said. “I saw the excitement it created in my family, among my friends, in my parish, in my school and across Roscommon.”

Rebecca recalled seeing children wearing little Rose sashes and badges, as well as signs and flags appearing in support of the Roscommon Rose.

“For me, that is probably the greatest gift I could ever have hoped to achieve from this journey,” she said.

“Long after the dresses are put away and the stage lights have gone down, knowing that this experience brought people together and gave them something positive to celebrate will always mean more to me than anything else.”

Then there was the poem. ‘The Reluctant Rose’, Rebecca’s self-written prose piece, became one of the memorable moments of her appearance on the Tuesday night of the festival.

Despite her own description of herself as having “no talent”, she captured the attention of audiences both in the Dome and watching at home as she performed the piece by heart.

The idea for the poem began around the kitchen table at home.

“My sister asked me the dreaded question, ‘What are you going to do for your talent?’ and I think my first response was to start listing all of the things I definitely couldn’t do!” Rebecca said.

“I couldn’t sing, I couldn’t dance, and I didn’t exactly have a party piece ready to pull out of the bag.”

Rebecca said she can cook, sew, play soccer and loves drama, but none seemed particularly easy to turn into a talent for the Rose stage.

“So instead of focusing on what I could do, I decided to put all of the things I couldn’t possibly do into a funny poem, and that was really where it all started.”

The fact that the performance came from such an everyday conversation made it particularly meaningful for Rebecca.

“It wasn’t something that had been planned for months or something I had performed a hundred times before,” she said.

“It came from a very ordinary conversation at home with my family, and somehow ended up being part of one of the biggest moments of my life.”

Representing Roscommon was, she said, “an enormous privilege”. Rebecca has long been involved in her local community through Kiltoom Drama Club and St Brigid’s GAA.

“I was so proud every time I put on the sash and I hope that throughout the experience I represented the county simply by being myself,” she said.

Rebecca paid tribute to the many people who supported her throughout the journey, including her family, friends, the people of Kiltoom and Cam, and her colleagues and students in Our Lady’s Bower.

She also thanked Yvonne and Sharon in Roscommon Rose Centre, Lorren Kelly from The One I Love Boutique, Hannah Kelly from Radiant Beauty, and Ursula Hannon and everyone at Hannon’s Hotel for their encouragement, work and support.

“I could never name everyone who played a part in getting me to Tralee, but I hope they all know how grateful I am, this experience was never just mine; so many people came on the journey with me, and I couldn’t have done it without you,” Rebecca said.

“To everyone who travelled to Tralee, watched from home, sent a message or card, stopped me for a chat, put up a sign or simply wished me well, thank you.”

Rebecca also offered her congratulations to the 2026 Rose of Tralee, Westmeath’s Caoilfhinn Ní Choiligh.

“Having had the opportunity to get to know her throughout the tour makes it all the more special, and I couldn’t be happier for her,” she said.

“I know she will have 31 other Roses supporting her all the way. She has an incredible year ahead and I have no doubt that she will be a wonderful ambassador for the festival.”

Ultimately, Rebecca said much of the magic of the Rose of Tralee happens away from the cameras, in the relationships built along the way.

“People often ask what the Rose of Tralee is really like when the cameras aren’t there,” she said.

“It is the friendships, the bus journeys, the laughter, the tears, the communities welcoming us everywhere we went, our families meeting each other and all of those little moments in between that viewers at home don’t always get to see.”