Offaly Rose attends Rose of Tralee Festival launch
RTÉ presenters Dáithí Ó Sé and Kathryn Thomas meet this year’s 32 Roses, including Offaly's Nicole Heffernan, at the launch of the 2025 Rose of Tralee International Festival today.
Presenters Dáithí Ó Sé and Kathryn Thomas made waves in the capital as they officially welcomed the 2025 Roses aboard the MV Cill Airne boat to launch the 65th Rose of Tralee International Festival.
Nicole, a 24-year-old teacher, from Killeigh was crowned Offaly Rose in April.
The five-day festival will culminate in the selection of the 2025 International Rose of Tralee. The televised event will take place on Monday 18 and Tuesday 19 August from 8pm - with a break for the Nine O’Clock News and resuming at 9.35pm - live on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.
Dáithí said: “Every year, the Rose of Tralee brings something new - new faces, new stories and a renewed sense of pride in the achievements of Irish women across the globe. I’ve been part of the Festival for 15 years now, and I still get that buzz when the Dome lights up and the Roses take to the stage. I can’t wait to do it all over again this year- it’s going to be something special.”
Kathryn added: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be returning to Tralee for this year’s Festival. Over the past two years, I’ve found it incredibly energising to be surrounded by accomplished, inspiring women who are all part of the same tribe. What I love most is that it’s not all about gowns or glitter — it’s about grit, grace and the powerful stories behind each Rose. I can’t wait to meet this year’s group and be part of the magic all over again.”
The Rose of Tralee will be available to watch for free, live and on-demand by audiences in Ireland and around the world on RTÉ Player. Features, archive footage, behind-the-scenes content and more will also be available across RTÉ.ie and RTÉ social media platforms over the coming days.
James Patrice returns with backstage antics as the official Rose Reporter. Follow all the action at home on @rteone channels across Facebook, Instagram, X and Tik Tok. The official hashtag is #roseoftralee.