Everything is coming up Roses for Tanya
By Aideen O'Flaherty
THE Dublin Rose has spoken of how proud she is to be representing both the community of Tallaght and the capital at the Rose of Tralee International Festival in Kerry this weekend.
Kilnamanagh woman Tanya Feighery (26) was crowned the Dublin Rose last June after beating off stiff competition from 22 other contestants in the Talbot Hotel Stillorgan, and is now looking ahead to the glittering event which starts this weekend and culminates in live interviews next week.
Dublin Rose Tanya Feighery and Wicklow Rose Lorna Mallick at the Royal Hospital. Photo by Andres Poveda
The secondary school teacher will start teaching in Kingswood Community College next month, after having previously lived and worked in Abu Dhabi.
Tanya told The Echo: “I’m very proud to be representing Tallaght in the Rose of Tralee.
“I want to say a huge thank you to everybody from Kilnamanagh that’s supported me, not only through the fundraiser [that Tanya held this month], but in other ways over the last three or four weeks.
“I also want to say a huge thank you to the greater community of Dublin that has come out of the shadows to support me.”
WATCH:
Tanya added: “I’m really, really proud to be representing my county, my family and my supporters and I hope I do you all proud in Tralee.”
Members of Tanya’s family – including her uncle Guss O’Connell, who is the former Mayor of South Dublin County Council and is an independent councillor for Lucan – waved flags in Rathcoole on Wednesday morning as the coach with all of the Roses on it passed the Poitín Stil on the N7.
WATCH ?: There was a great send-off for #Kilnamanagh‘s Tanya Feighery @ThePoitinStil as she headed off on her journey to win the @RoseofTralee_ title. #RoseOfTralee @dublinrose_ pic.twitter.com/FmvEbrInvx
— The Echo Newspaper (@TheEchoOnline) August 15, 2018
Tanya will be in Tralee with 57 other hopeful Roses, who will then be whittled down to the final 32 who will be interviewed live by RTE presenter Daithi O’Se on RTE 1 on Monday, August 20, and Tuesday, August 21 from 9.35pm to 11.40pm each night.
