Nenagh welcomes Tipperary Rose Aisling O’Donovan

On Tuesday, July 19, Nenagh played host to the Tipperary Rose Aisling O’Donovan, who visited the town and the surrounding area.

She was accompanied by her mother Breda and her sister Sinéad. Unfortunately, her older sister Teresa and her father Seán were unable to come with her. Aisling, who hails from Fethard, had returned to Ireland the previous evening after a holiday in Italy, which was made all the more memorable when boyfriend Colm Barry went on bended knee and proposed. And, of course, she said yes!

Colm was concerned about the selection of the ring – he knew that over the course of her years of participation in sport she had suffered a number of broken fingers but she was very happy with his choice. So, 2022 has been a memorable year for Aisling in more ways than one.

Both Aisling and Colm are teachers – Aisling is a primary school teacher and assistant principal at the all-boys Bishop Murphy Memorial School in Fermoy. Her own education was as a pupil of the primary school in Clerihan and, following that, in the Presentation in Clonmel.

She went on to Mary Immaculate College where, in addition to her academic pursuits, she was a member of the Ladies Basketball team that achieved two All-Ireland titles during her time with them. She holds a Masters in Positive and Coaching Psychology from UCC, having chosen this subject because of her huge interest in mental health and wellbeing.

Aisling has found that this course has been of enormous benefit to her and helps her to feel gratitude at her existence, to keep things in perspective and to enjoy the little things in life. There is nothing she likes more than a cup of tea in the morning! Much of this positive outlook comes from her parents, Breda and Sean.

AVID SPORTS ENTHUSIAST

Aisling was always an avid sports enthusiast. She gave everything from swimming to horse-riding and rugby a go as a child. She played a huge amount of football and basketball, and was a member of the All Ireland-winning U16 Tipperary Ladies Football Team.

She played with Moyle Rovers and is very grateful to her father Seán, who was always willing to take her to matches and training. Seán never expected to attend so many matches but became so involved that he went on to manage the Tipperary Ladies Football team that reached an All-Ireland Final in 2013.

Another of Aisling’s interests is music and dance – an interest that she shares with the other members of her family. She was a member of the ‘On Your Toes’ Dance Academy in Clonmel for her entire youth. Her love of dance continued as she was part of Mary Immaculate College’s intervarsity team throughout her college years.

For 2021/2022 she took on the challenge of learning the piano and will now be moving on to Grade 2 next year. She finds the piano is an outlet that allows her to tune out and lose herself in the music.

The O’Donovans are a very close family and celebrate each other’s successes. Her older sister, Teresa,who is also a primary school teacher, is a member of Naas Musical Society in Kildare. Sinéad, who is the youngest member of the family, has a music degree and is completing her Masters in Vocal Performance from the Cork School of Music at present. She taught singing at the Bellvue Academy for four years and has performed at the Bord Gáis and the Olympia Theatre.

Aisling and Breda both agree that the streamed performance of ‘Angela’s Ashes’ from the Olympia, which was one of Sinéad’s performances, was an outstanding event. Breda remembers being told by one of Aisling’s teachers that she was very committed and would go far. Aisling tells of teaching her teddies as a child and no doubt this was an early indication of her choice of career.

She loves children and took great pleasure in teaching dancing to the boys in the Bishop Murphy Memorial School. She talks of one boy, who thought he would never be able to dance and is now getting great enjoyment from it. She is interested in language and culture, and is the Irish Language co-ordinator in the school.

Aisling has a wide circle of friends, loves travelling and is well read. But Breda says she is also an extremely caring person. Unfortunately, last year she lost two of her grandparents and both her parents acknowledge how devoted she was to her grandfather, spending a lot of time with him and taking him for spins.

Her caring nature is also evident from the fundraising that she has been engaged in. She ran a concert in Clerihan with the proceeds going to Pieta House and has also completed a half marathon in aid of Barnados.

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

It is no wonder that Aisling is so interested in health and wellbeing. Her parents Breda and Seán are role-models who are passionate about the subject and would have instilled in their daughters the importance of wellness and looking after themselves. Breda is working as a midwife, managing a team of midwifes that provide care and support. Both Seán and Breda also instilled a good work ethic in all their children, all of whom would have undertaken jobs such as babysitting from an early age. Seán formerly had a haulage and fuel company.

An important member of the family that should not be forgotten is Rossi – their dog. His importance is underlined by the fact that he has his own Instagram account!

Aisling was chosen as the Tipperary Rose in March 2022 and will go on to take part in the Rose of Tralee event. She explained that she will get to hold the Tipperary Rose sash for two years as the large number of centres represented has led to the event being run on a cyclical two-year basis!

VISIT TO NENAGH

During her visit to Nenagh, Aisling visited Nenagh Tourist Office where she met Tourism Development Officer Sinéad Cahalan and was given a tour by Tour Guide/Information Officer Victoria Lee. From there she visited Nenagh Arts Centre and viewed the ‘Kadinsky and Thread’ quilt work exhibition by Loretta O’Brien.

Next it was on to Nenagh Genealogy & Heritage Centre where Nora O’Meara, Genealogist and her team (Ger, Libby and Geraldine) gave the group a tour of the Governor’s House. They were particularly interested in the schoolroom and shop exhibits, and expressed an interest in returning to spend more time there. Following lunch in Steeples the group went for a quick walk around town and paid a visit to local businesses Melissa K and Sixty-Three Boutique, whose proprietors have sponsored items for the Tipperary Rose. Along the way they met many Nenagh people, who stopped to say hello and to wish Aisling well.

The Cathaoirleach of Nenagh Municipal District, Cllr Hughie McGrath, met the group in the Castle Garden and took them from there to Nenagh Castle where they were impressed by the majestic 13th Century keep, promising to return to climb the 101 steps. Here they met the castle tour guide Kevin Whelan.

Following a quick cup of tea in Cinnamon Alley, it was back to Nenagh Tourist Office for a change of clothes before heading off for a hike to the Millennium Cross with Cyril McLoughlin of the Aonach Ar Siúl Walking Club. During their excursions around Nenagh they were accompanied by Rosemary Joyce, District Administrator, Nenagh Municipal District, who provided information on the town, its heritage and its communities.

During the visit the Tipperary connection with the Rose of Tralee festival came up on several occasions. On the street, one of the people met was mother of Niamh Ryan, who was Tipperary Rose in 2004. The proprietor of Sixty-Three spoke of Aoife Kelly from Portroe, who had worked there and who was crowned Rose of Tralee in 2008. And Majella also revealed that she and her husband Jim McLoughney met when hitching to the Rose of Tralee 40 years ago!

Speaking about her visit to Nenagh, Aisling said it was an eye-opener. She referred to all that is going on in North Tipperary and that Nenagh is a hub of history – a hidden gem that beautifully combines human connection with its heritage. She also mentioned her earlier excursion on Lough Derg, part of Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands. She said she was proud to be in Nenagh and was blown away by the kindness of the local businesses and the people she met on the streets. She said Nenagh was a well-kept town and she was impressed by the way the town has maintained its authenticity. The spirit of community and celebration of heritage and culture was very evident in Nenagh and she noted that this spirit closely resembles what Rose of Tralee festival is all about.

We wish Aisling every success in the Rose of Tralee contest – she is an able ambassador for Tipperary and will be a credit to her family and her county.