Rose Maria blossoms to run for
Maria Walsh FORMER Rose of Tralee winner Maria Walsh is turning to politics and hopes to become an MEP
Maria, from Co Mayo, confirmed she is seeking the Fine Gael nomination to contest the European elections in May.
In 2014, she became the first gay woman to be crowned the Rose of Tralee.
In a statement, the 31-year-old said winning the title gave her a “platform to make a positive impact in people’s lives”.
Explaining why she intends to run in the Midlands/north-west, Maria added: “I want to become an MEP and represent the interests of a wide constituency that is going through many changes.”