Outgoing Cork Rose says festival is as relevant as ever 

When Cork Rose Shauna O’Sullivan hands over her sash in a few short weeks to the next young woman who will represent the Rebel County at the Rose of Tralee this summer, she its it will be a bittersweet moment.

It’s been the fastest year of her life, but one where she learned an awful lot about herself and what she is capable of, she its.

The 26-year-old pharmacist from the small village of Araglen, near Fermoy, said her main reason for taking part initially was to widen her circle of friends.

“I had just graduated from UCC after five years of study and found myself at a bit of a crossroads in of where I wanted to go with my life and my newfound freedom from studying.

“Many of my friends had moved away from Cork, whereas I decided to move home with a job lined up in my local pharmacy, eager to gain professional experience in my new career.

“I figured that now would be as good a time as any to apply, to throw my name in the hat to become the next Cork Rose, and it’s fair to say I haven’t looked back since. It was something that was always at the back of my mind from a very young age.

“I was always a fan of the Rose of Tralee and looked up to the former Roses in awe and with iration. So for this reason, it felt extra surreal to become the Cork Rose,” she said.

In school, she its, she was the “quietest girl in the classroom”.

“I would consider myself shy by nature. Even when I knew the answer in school, I would never be brave enough to put my hand up. This was something I have had to work on over the years, but without a doubt, this time last year I was 100% less confident than I am today, and that’s all down to being the Cork Rose.

“It’s one thing to go on stage as a performer, but it’s another thing entirely to go on stage as yourself and showcase your personality, your achievements, and what you’re ionate about! Looking back at the time, I was a nervous wreck for the Cork selection, but the thrill you get after, and the sense of accomplishment and confidence that you gain from doing it is like no other; it truly has been life-changing for me.

“Being the Cork Rose has brought out traits and qualities in me I never knew I had, and I will be sure to carry them with me always. It’s really amazing what you can do when you push yourself out of your comfort zone and when you’re surrounded by people who encourage you and inspire you.”

What does Shauna say to people who think the competition, with its escorts and on-stage performances, is out of date?

“To me, the Rose of Tralee has absolutely stood the test of time, now heading into its 65th year. It is clear that it still holds relevance today, given the amount of young women all over the world who continue to apply year after year. When you strip it back, it really is a celebration of Irish women, and, to quote Daithí Ó Sé ‘when is a celebration of Irish women out of date?’ (the answer being never).

“The Rose of Tralee is about elevating women and giving us a platform to shine and showcase our personalities and achieve-ments, and it was a true honour to have been a part of that.

“Myself and the class of 2024 represent modern Irish women. I have studied to become a pharmacist, a profession that was historically more male-dominated. My room-mate, the Ohio Rose, works as a NASA scientist,” said Shauna.

At the outset, she decided to say yes to all invites and any opportunities that came her way, even though nothing is compulsory when you hold a Rose title.

“You can make the title your own, you are given a platform and it’s really up to you how you use it, like anything, the more you put into it is what you’ll get out of it” she said.

Among her highlights of the past 12 months were the many travel opportunities she availed of. A stand-out is a trip to Poland in February to help deliver humanitarian aid in conjunction with the Chernobyl Children International charity.

“We visited orphanages and safe houses for Ukrainian children and distributed around €90,000 worth of aid in total. It was a really amazing experience and one that gave me a sense of appreciation of the upbringing I have received and what we have in Ireland,” said Shauna.

She also visited New York and Chicago for their St Patrick’s Day festivities in her ambassadorial role.

“That was really exciting, walking down 5th avenue representing Ireland and the Rose of Tralee – even more so as it was my first trip to the US,” she said.

Her final expedition with the Rose of Tralee will take her walking a section of the Camino Portuguésfrom Valenca to Santiago this June in aid of Cliona’s Foundation.

A group of 15 Roses/Rose Escorts, led by the 2024 International Rose of Tralee Keely O’Grady, will walk the 120km over five days in solidarity with the approximately 4,000 families caring for seriously sick children all over Ireland.

This trip will also raise much-needed funds and awareness for these families and their financial struggle to cover the non-medical costs of their child’s illness.

An obvious highlight to Shauna is the friendships she has made with her Rose sisters that she knows she will have for life. Throughout it all though, she said, it was most important for her to represent who she was as a person, and that’s someone from a tight-knit rural community, in which she plays an active role.

Shauna juggled her Cork Rose duties with her day job as a busy community pharmacist in McCauley’s, Fermoy. She relishes her job, despite its demands.

“I like to feel like I’m making a difference in the lives of my patients, even if there’s a bit of pressure sometimes with a lot going on behind the scenes in your typical pharmacy.

“I studied hard, I’m done with the books now, and am enjoying the day-to-day variety that comes with the job,” she said.

Graduating from an intense course like pharmacy and embarking on an intense career, she its that she found being Cork Rose ‘a nice distraction’, even if she is looking forward to a little more free time now.

“All of my weekends have been block booked for so long, I’m not sure I’ll know what to do with myself.

“The next priority will be helping to organise our local carnival taking place in July and returning the my community gave to me over the past few months in the form of voluntary work.

“Who knows what will be on the cards after the come-down from the handover, perhaps some travelling, even though I would consider myself a homebird and a Cork woman at heart,” said Shauna.

The Cork Rose is the eldest of four.

Her sisters are Ciara, 25, who is working in an equine hospital in Tipperary, and Niamh, 23, who is studying Law and Business in UCG, and brother Niall, 20, who is studying finance. Her mum also works as a pharmacy technician and her dad is a Garda Inspector in Fermoy.

“I think my siblings are looking forward to me handing over the sash – they were getting jealous of all the attention I was getting,” laughed Shauna.

This year’s Cork Rose Selection Night will be taking place on the June Bank Holiday weekend – Sunday, June 1.

“I am jealous of all the fun the girls are going to have. I would do it all again in a heartbeat and I’m looking forward to giving them all the and guidance that I was so lucky to receive myself,” she said.

“I’d encourage anyone to give it a go. To anyone who has ever toyed with the idea of applying to be a Rose, take this as your sign to do so! Stop waiting for the ‘right time’ as there isn’t one! There are very limited spaces available so apply today, it is my personal promise that you won’t regret it,” she said.

“The whole experience has been the biggest gift and one that I will cherish for the rest of my days. It really was a dream come true for me.”