Search Underway for This Year's
Edmonton Wild Irish Rose
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MOIRA QUIRKE |
'She was lovely and fair as the rose of the summer,
Yet 'twas not her beauty alone that won me.
Oh no, 'twas the truth in her eyes ever dawning.
That made me love Mary, the Rose of Tralee.'
By CATHOLINE BUTLER
EDMONTON - The Edmonton Irish Sports and Social Society are once again inviting females of Irish birth or ancestry to enter the Edmonton Wild Irish Rose contest for 2008. The successful candidate will represent Edmonton in Ireland at the Rose of Tralee International Festival.
Entry rules for the International festival are: Female, must be 18 years of age at the time of competition entry and will not have reached her 28th birthday on or prior to the last night of the 2008 International Rose of Tralee Selection on August 26. Unmarried, never married, and without any dependants. Of Irish birth or ancestry and able to verify this if required and someone who has not represented any centre at the national or international level of this event.
The Rose of Tralee International Festival is held annually in Tralee, Ireland. The purpose of the festival is to choose a young woman to be crowned the Rose. The winner is selected based on her personality and should be a good role model for the festival and for Ireland during her travels around the world.
The Rose of Tralee contest is not a beauty contest, it is basically about achievements, the girl's outlook on life, what they want to do and what they want to achieve. It also relates to the cultural aspects in relation to their Irish background, deportment, social skills and personality.
Moira Quirke is the Chairwoman Western Division for the Edmonton Wild Irish Rose contest. I spoke with Moira recently about this year's contest and she said, "Last year was our first year, so this year we will be looking for more sponsorship and more connections with Irish pubs and businesses. We're also planning a ball, a Rose Bowl, in the spring.
"What we experienced last year, with the schedule set for April, was that many of the girls who wanted to enter were in the middle of exams or mid-terms. We lost a lot of entries because they just could not travel at that time. So this year we will schedule the contest so that it doesn't conflict with exams."
Last year's Edmonton Rose was Jessica Bell from Edmonton who is a champion Irish dancer. "Jessica had a fantastic experience in Ireland," said Moira, "she did very well. She was on the radio in Ireland where she sang.
"The organizers in Ireland took the girls around to all the events, to special dinners, pagents and banquets. The entrants all had lunch with the mayor of Tralee and they had the opportunity to travel around Ireland. Jessica met girls from all over the world, she made a lot of friendships and has kept in touch with many of them."
Applications to enter the Edmonton Wild Irish Rose contest must be in by April 15. For more information, obtain an application, or submit a completed application, call Moira Quirke at (780) 456-0818, (780) 887-2851. Fax: (780) 456-7217 or e-mail: mycom@telus.net.
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