Monaghan celebrity and pop culture journalist Bronwyn O'Neill, has spoken out in defence of the Rose of Tralee Festival.
As Anne Marie McArdle from Monaghan and Grace Farrelly from Cavan are in County Kerry for the first part of their Rose Tour this week, VIP Magazine reporter Bronwyn O'Neill says the annual "Lovely Girl" competition is part of who we are. This year's New York Rose also has local connections as Billie Cooper spent her early years in Killeshandra before emigrating to Asia and then the Big Apple only last year.
Bronwyn O'Neill told the Joe Finnegan Show there is "nothing wrong" with educated, talented and attractive women choosing to wear nice dresses and enter themselves into a competition which selects a winner by the same attributes. "It has all these, y'know negative ties to it because we're in 2024 and we don't need all these lovely girl competitions," Bronwyn told Joe Finnegan, "but, all I have to say is: is it really that serious? Is it really that important that we get up on our high horses and talk about these 32 women and they want to get up and represent their county on a national level, wear a nice dress, do a little jig, have a party piece and chat to Dáithí?"
