Mayo Rose Kate is ninth on stage at Tralee Festival
Mayo Rose Kate Heneghan will be the ninth contestant on stage when the International Rose of Tralee Festival opens tonight in the Dome at the Kerry Sports Academy of Munster Technological University.
The event is being broadcast live on RTÉ One television from 8 to 11.25 p.m. with a break for the 9 o'clock news.
Kate, in effect, will be representing the entire west of Ireland when she appears on stage to be interviewed by Daithi O’Se and Kathryn Thomas.
She is hoping to become the fifth rose from the province to be crowned the Rose of Tralee and the third from Mayo after Aoibheann Ni Shúilleabháin in 2005 and Mindi O’Sullivan in 1998.
The two other Connacht winners were Sheila O’Hanrahan, Galway, in 1980, Niamh Grogan, Galway, in 1992.
Aged 27 and from Castlebar, Kate works as a classical content specialist for global music streaming platforms, having received a Masters degree in Music Composition from Ulster University.
A harpist, violinist and pianist from Castlebar, she was able to combine her undergraduate Degree in Music while touring the world as a musician.
"I am also very passionate about sharing my love of music with others. I teach music in both genres of Irish traditional and classical music.
"My family and I formed ‘Westport Scoil Cheoil’ a summer school dedicated to teaching Irish music and promoting Irish culture.
"As well as teaching music, I regularly host music radio programmes and volunteer as a musician and MC at charity concerts.
"Sport is another great passion of mine, and of course I am a loyal Mayo supporter. I am a qualified personal trainer and hiking is one of my favourite pastimes," she told the Irish Independent.
Meanwhile, best wishes are also extended to Michael Donoghue, Ballaghaderreen, Paul Ruane, Balla, and Noel Quinn, Pontoon, who are International Rose Escorts for the festival in Tralee.
The running order for the Rose of Tralee is as follows.
Monday, August 21 – Rose Selection Part One
Arizona – Ashley Jackson
Boston & New England – Fiona Weir
Chicago – Kelley Leyden
Cork – Kate Shaughnessy
Dublin – Bethany Cushing
Laois – Sinéad Dowd
Limerick – Molli Ann O’Halloran
London – Amy Gillen
Mayo – Kate Heneghan
Meath – Lane Galvin
Melbourne – Katie Casey
Offaly – Allie Leahy
Philadelphia – Marissa Berry
Queensland – Imogen Weston – Kelly
San Francisco – Katie McFadden
Toronto – Erica Daly
Western Canada – London Prusko
Wexford – Brónagh Hogan
Tuesday, August 22 – Rose Selection Part Two
Antrim – Mollie O’Brien
Carlow – Caoimhe Deering
Clare – Aisling O’Connor
Down – Nadine Downey
Germany – Megan Wolf
Kerry – Kelsey Lang McCarthy
Longford – Grace Kemple
New York – Róisín Wiley
New Zealand – Kelsi Wallace
Ottawa – Aoife McDonald
South Australia – Charlotte Burton
Sydney – Aoife Butler
Texas – Eden Kasprak
Washington DC – Siobhán Speak