Rose of Tralee presenter defends festival against claims of being outdated

Dáithí Ó Sé, the presenter of the Rose of Tralee, has pushed back against long-standing criticism that the festival is outdated. Speaking ahead of the final broadcast, Ó Sé argued that the event offers a valuable snapshot of Irish women's lives and aspirations, which have significantly evolved over time.

“

People were having cheap shots at the Rose of Tralee for a long, long time as opposed to looking at the Rose of Tralee for what it really is and what it has been for a long time.

"People were having cheap shots at the Rose of Tralee for a long, long time as opposed to looking at the Rose of Tralee for what it really is and what it has been for a long time," Ó Sé stated. He contrasted participants from the 1970s, who might have focused on careers like teaching or nursing and had limited travel experience, with today's contestants, who include doctors, engineers, and global travelers. This evolution, he believes, reflects broader changes in society and what Irish women are doing in any given year.

“

If you take a Rose from the 1970s, there’s a good chance she would go on stage and talk about being a teacher, or a nurse and probably not have travelled a whole lot. It will show what women were doing in certain years. This year you have doctors, you have engineers, you have people who have travelled all around the world.

Ó Sé also addressed skepticism about the bonds formed between contestants during the festival's lead-up. He noted that many participants remain close friends years later, attending each other's weddings, showcasing a genuine "sisterhood." Co-presenter Kathryn Thomas echoed his sentiments, suggesting that while the festival was once a target for mockery, such criticism has diminished. She praised the broadcast as "three hours of positivity, confidence, vulnerability, reality, support, family diaspora," qualities she finds rare in today's world.

“

I would follow a lot of them on Instagram and you’d see that they are still friends 10 years later, and going to each other’s weddings.

Both presenters remained tight-lipped about the winner of the Rose of Tralee competition, explaining that the adjudication process lacks official criteria. Thomas elaborated that the four judges do not work from a checklist but instead seek a woman who can embody and represent the diverse stories of all the Roses. The Rose of Tralee airs on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player on Tuesday, August 18th, from 8 p.m.

“

For a long time it was almost part of the festival to slag it. And then the festival happens and everyone is like, ‘oh, how can you slag it?’ but I think it is less and less now.