Jennifer "over the moon" at Offaly Rose win
Geraldine Grennan
A newly-qualified doctor who represented Ireland on the world stage as an international soccer player has won the coveted title of Offaly Rose.
24-year old Jennifer Byrne, who lives just half a mile inside the Offaly border with Westmeath, at Clonaderig, Ballinahown, said she was “over the moon” to win the Offaly Rose title at a glittering Selection Night in the Bridge House Hotel, Tullamore on Saturday night last, and is really looking forward to representing her county at the International Rose of Tralee Festival in August.
Daughter of Declan and Mary Byrne and with one brother, 21-year old Terry and one sister, 19-year old Lorraine, Jennifer says she has relations “all over Offaly and Westmeath” with her mother hailing from Turraun, Ferbane and her father from Balylough, Athlone.
“My whole family are delighted with my win, and they are already booking their accommodation in Tralee for the Rose Festival” said a delighted Jennifer.
At 5ft 10 and a half inches, the newly-crowned Offaly Rose was the tallest of the 14 Rose hopefuls at the Selection Night in the Bridge House last weekend and she wowed both the audience and the judges alike with her warm personality and her dancing skills when she danced a very impressive hornpipe!
The new Offaly Rose is no stranger to the international stage, having lined out on numerous occasions in the green, white and gold of Ireland as a member of both the Under-17 and Under-19 International women's soccer team.
She played an instrumental role in the 2010 European U17 Final where Ireland lost out on penalties to Spain, and she also played in the World Cup in Trinidad and Tobago.
Despite the excitement of the weekend, however, it was back to business for Jennifer Byrne this week as she returned to the busy environment of University College hospital in Galway, where she is working as a doctor having qualified from NUIG in June of last year. She also returned to training with the Galway women's football team who are currently taking part in the National League.
Jennifer takes over the Offaly Rose crown from Emma Kirwan, who was on hand at the Selection Night last week to congratulate her successor, and the new Offaly Rose was sponsored by Annemarie from Ferbane Total Healthcare Pharmacy, whom she warmly thanked for giving her the “wonderful honour and opportunity” to represent Offaly in the International Rose of Tralee Festival in August.
“The whole experience so far has been just fantastic, and I honestly still can't believe I won it” said Jennifer this week “it was great to get to meet and make friends with all the other girls who took part, and I am looking forward to doing Offaly and my family proud at the International Rose Festival in Tralee and to making lots of new friends along the way.”