Perth – Denise Quigley

My name is Denise Quigley and I am representing Perth in the 2016 Rose of Tralee International Festival. I am 27 and was born and raised in Frosses Co. Donegal where I attended Frosses National School. I am one of six children. I attended the Abbey Vocational School. I then completed a certificate in Hairdressing at Cavan Institute. Eager to travel with my qualifications and visa, I set sail for Australia in 2010. My first year was spent in Canberra, then six months in Sydney, from there I moved to outback Queensland for four Years. It was in Queensland I received my Permanent Residency and met Danny Costello from Ardfert. Travelling feet took over and we decided to move to sunny Perth in 2015. I played Gaelic football from a young age with St. Nauls GAA and at U16 won an All Ireland County Medal. I love meeting new people and travelling, so hairdressing seems an ideal career for me. After arriving in Perth I received my Citizenship and Australian Passport. The trip to Tralee will be my first adventure on my Australian Passport. Since winning the Perth Rose selection I have adopted the nickname “Rosie” in Western Australia. With this achievement I have had the pleasure of meeting so many people within the Irish community . Everyone loves the Irish here. Australians are very fond of the accent and although some don’t know it yet, they will have a great love for the Rose of Tralee Festival from now on. Many of my friends are not Irish so it’s great getting them involved. Enjoying overwhelming support from all corners, I cannot wait to meet the Roses from all over the world while representing Western Australia this year.