Kerry – Danielle O’Sullivan

I’m Danielle O’Sullivan and I’m proud to say that I’m the 2016 Kerry Rose. I’m a 23 year old hailing from the beautiful town of Killarney. Sport is one of the big passions in my life and like any Kerry cailín I’ve a love for all things GAA related. I played Gaelic football with my local club Killarney Legion for many years and take any chance I can to attend games. I started doing Tae-Kwon-Do when I was 9 and achieved black belt status when I was 17, something most people find hard to believe considering I’m a tiny 5’4’’. I’ve been lucky enough to have successfully represented my club and county both nationally and internationally even managing to win bronze at the European Championships. I’m also a big football fan supporting Leeds United, which for some reason always causes a laugh when I tell people. I completed my degree in Law and Economics last year at Limerick University, and am currently studying for my Masters in Human Rights Law and Criminal Justice. I plan on qualifying as a solicitor when I finish and working in human rights, hopefully in the area of women’s rights. My goal is to someday work for the United Nations. The other big passion in my life is mental health campaigning. I’m on the US Embassy’s Youth Council where we tackle problems that face young people in Ireland. I’m the project leader for mental health and we are working on a campaign to educate Irish youth about the importance of healthy relationships, and the effects unhealthy ones can have on their mental health. I feel so thankful and privileged to be given the opportunity to represent my county at this year’s Rose of Tralee, and look forward to the adventure ahead.