ROSE CUT: A TIME FOR REGROWTH
THE decision to cancel the 61st Rose of Tralee Festival was difficult and traumatic, but the right thing to do in the current situation according to Executive Chairman of the Festival, Anthony O’Gara.
Despite the cancellation, the team behind the Rose of Tralee is now hoping to look at other projects and focus on developing a Dome in the coming year.
“We will re-focus on whether or not to build a Dome, it is a big project. We will examine if it is feasible,” he said.
It had been hoped that the International Rose of Tralee festival could go ahead later in the year, but as it became more apparent that social distancing will remain in place for much of this year, future plans were no longer an option, so a decision was taken to cancel this year’s festival.
“We just couldn’t have the traditional festival. It is not practical with social distancing in place for the fun and festivities of the festival,” said Mr O’Gara.
Many of the festival’s former winning Roses are now engaged in the front-line battle against the virus including reigning Rose Sinead Flanagan (28), who is bravely working as a doctor while studying for a Masters.
She will now also serve as the 2020 Rose of Tralee.
“She can’t celebrate as a reigning Rose, so by extending her reign for 2020 it will also give her the opportunity to celebrate as she should,” Mr O’Gara said.
Across the world, Rose selections had only just gotten underway, with just a single contestant, Ohio Rose Christine Smyth in the US, selected for the Tralee event this year. Any selections made this year are expected to automatically carry over to the 2021 event.
The Rose festival is hosted by RTÉ presenter Daithí O’Sé, and he will present next year’s event. Kerry hoteliers admitted that the cancellation presents an economic disaster for the county, with the festival estimated to be worth more than €50m in terms of spending, overseas publicity and follow-on tourism.
The Rose event is worth up to €7m to the town of Tralee and €10m to the local Kerry economy.
Hotelier Padraig McGillicuddy, who is PRO of the Kerry branch of the Irish Hotels Federation and runs the Ballygarry House Hotel, said the loss of the festival is ‘phenomenal’ to the town and the county.
“We are enormously disappointed and sympathetic to the organisers. It is a phenomenal loss and will have a ripple effect until 2021.
“It is the biggest revenue earner to the town, and the loss has decimated any season.”
This view is shared by the Tralee Vintners Chairperson Johnny McElligott, who said that the Rose of Tralee paid the bills of most businesses in the town, making its loss a huge blow.
“It is very disappointing. These times are unprecedented,” he said.
The inaugural International Rose of Tralee event was hosted in 1959.
To date, €300,000 had been spent on preparing for the 2020 festival.
“It will be a financial challenge next year, but we will try and make it up. We are optimistic and we will quietly work away,” Mr O’Gara added.
He said the festival team will now focus on supporting the national battle against COVID-19.
“We have done a lot of fundraising for charities down through the years, and we hope we can do some good again. We will focus on what the Rose family can do this year.”
Mayor of Tralee Cllr Jim Finucane said the cancellation, while not a surprise given the circumstances facing Ireland, was nonetheless very disappointing. However, he said that the focus show now be on the Dome.
Expressions of interest on the project had been sought prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We can divert our focus to a permanent dome which would be a symbol of regeneration after the project. The cancellation of the festival allows us to focus on this and that something good could rise out of this,” he said.