‘It was the opportunity of a lifetime’... Meath Rose reflects her time in Rose of Tralee Festival
As The Rose of Tralee Festival came to an end last week, Meath Rose Ella Bannon reflected on her whirlwind week and the highs and lows of being a contestant in the iconic event.
Ella began Irish dancing at the age of four in Trim locally, and said that she was “honoured to be able to share her love for Irish dancing on stage for thousands of people in Tralee while representing her county.”
The 20 year old from Trim said that one of the main highlights from the competition was meeting the other 31 Roses and creating life-long relationships and friendships.
Ella was the youngest Rose in the festival but as soon as the ladies met for the first time, she said that they all felt equal and bonded instantly.
“It was the best part of the whole competition, meeting the other Roses. When we went on the Rose Tour, we just got closer and closer. Getting to meet other people is mainly what the festival is about.
“Meeting people from other parts of the country and from around the world and getting to know their culture and heritage. It really is about connection and bringing women together.”
The parades were another major highlight for Ella, enjoying the little girls looking up and waving at the Roses in admiration.
“You kind of just felt like a princess on the float. The stage performances were also a major highlight. As soon as I came off stage, I wanted to do it again. The feeling was almost euphoric. I didn't realise how many people were watching from their televisions, but it was so worth it and I would definitely do it again.”
Some minor challenges Ella faced while touring was packing for the Rose Tour, bringing heavy ball gowns and suitcases around the country. Another aspect that Ella found challenging was the lack of sleep and learning how to strategically plan when to sleep.
“The bus rides were definitely my down time. When you're a Rose, you realise your sleep is very important to you but when it's such a jam-packed schedule you kind of forget how tired you are. You're just having too much fun.”
The biggest highlight of the competition for Ella was representing her county and getting to experience something she never thought she would. She could not have done it without the support of her parents, Clara and Paul Bannon, and her sister Laura Bannon.
“To represent Meath has been such an honour. I used to work in the Knightsbrook Hotel in Trim and I used to look at all of the past Roses and how much fun they had, but actually being in the festival is a feeling like no other.
It is something that I will remember for the rest of my life. It really is an opportunity of a lifetime.”
Meath was well represented in this years Rose of Tralee Festival, with Meath man Tommy Meade being the Rose Escort of the winning Laois Rose. Read full article here.