Rose of Tralee tour visits Tipp
The International Rose of Tralee Tour visited Tipperary this weekend shining a spotlight on the premier county as part of their tour of Ireland. A delegation of sixteen roses led by Tipperary Rose Aisling O’Donovan included roses from Philadelphia, Waterford, Monaghan, Cavan, Florida, Kilkenny, Newfoundland, Leitrim, Ohio, Galway, Perth, Roscommon, Sydney, Sligo and Toronto.
The ‘Tipperary Rose Tour’ is sure to build on recent positive promotions garnered by the county’s destination marketing organisation, Tipperary Tourism most notably Conde Nast’s Travellers Annual Best Holiday Destinations which recently named Tipperary among the world’s best holiday destinations for 2022. Internationally renowned Forbes magazine concurred as it named Tipperary as one of the 10 coolest places to go in the next 10 years.
The roses Tipperary visit included, an official welcoming ceremony at Hotel Minella hosted by Cathaoirleach of Tipperary County Council, Cllr Roger Kennedy, followed by an evening on Suir Blueway Tipperary where Roses could choose to kayak, cycle or walk to take in the breath-taking scenery along the route.
Their first evening in Tipperary closed in fine style with a Tipperary Boutique Distillery Gin Tasting before enjoying a luxury stay at the four-star family run Hotel Minella owned by the local Nallen family for generations.
A sumptuous Tipperary Breakfast complete with the finest Tipperary Food Producers offerings set the Roses up perfectly for an action-packed day two which began at the hometown of Tipperary Rose Aisling O’Donovan in Fethard. The roses were treated to a thrilling behind the scenes tour of the world famous, home of champions Coolmore stud before they visited the Fethard Horse County Experience where they received a warm welcome from the local community who were out in force to support their own Tipperary Rose.
Their next stop was the nearby heritage town of Cashel. At the newly opened five-star Cashel Palace Hotel, the delegation immersed themselves in Irish culture with camogie and hurling fun on the lawns before a visit to one of Ireland’s most iconic historical sites, The Rock of Cashel.
Finally, they visited one of Ireland’s most iconic historical sites, The Rock of Cashel, the high king of Irish monuments. Here the roses were treated to a guided tour followed by a spectacular demonstration of Irish dancing by local children from the Scoil Ui Ruairc, School of Irish Dancing.
The visit was kindly supported by Tipperary County Council and Tipperary Tourism. Marie Phelan, Tourism Development Officer at Tipperary Tourism, commented “Our visitor experiences here in Tipperary are built on the county’s natural, social and cultural assets including the character and history of our towns, villages and communities, the dramatic beauty and variety of our landscapes, as well as the quality of our environment and food produce. Welcoming the International Rose Tour has been a wonderful opportunity for Tipperary Tourism to shine a light on our beautiful county. Although, it was far too short a visit to show them all that we have to offer, we are sure this itinerary offered the roses an authentic and unique taste of Tipperary and we look forward to welcoming them and their families and friends back again in the not too distant future.”
Speaking of the experience with her fellow roses, Tipperary Rose Aisling O’Donovan said “I am just so proud to be from Tipperary and what an honour it has been to share this wonderful experience with my fellow Roses. I would like to thank Tipperary County Council, Tipperary Tourism, The International Rose of Tralee Festival and all the people involved in organising this trip and fantastic itinerary, you nailed it guys it has been a real highlight for the roses!”
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