Night of hilarious fun at the ‘Prickly Rose of Tralee’ final
THERE was a side-splitting night of fun at Hotel Curracloe as Shelmalier GAA Club hosted its own ‘Prickly Rose of Tralee’ competition with men dressing up as the contestants and women as their dress suited escorts.
Conor ‘Molly’ Byrne escorted by Theresa Hore-Meagher (posing as Tommy Barron) was crowned the fairest rose by Strawberry Queen Rebecca O’Connor and presented with a tiara and crystal vase after a party piece rendition of the song Molly Malone which involved him pushing a trolley of strawberries through the audience and getting everyone to sing along before ditching his jacket and breaking into ‘It’s Raining Men’ with umbrella-toting backing dancers and a watering can.
Joe ‘Shelly’ Kelly won Best Party Piece for the Breakfast Roll song while the adjudicator’s prize went to Simon ‘Britney’ Walsh and his escort Emma Hearne, channelling Jody Donohoe.
Up to 500 people attended hilarious event which was the culmination of a fundraising drive in aid of the club’s Player Fund launched last October.
The constestants, Aodhan Foley, Joe Kelly, Myles Sunderland, Paraic O’ Leary, Colm Flanagan, Simon Walsh, Murt Hanrahan, Aidan Cash, Graham Staples, Colm Hearne, Damien Doyle and Conor Byrne were interviewed live on stage by All-Ireland hurler Tom Dempsey who gave Daithí Ó Sé a run for his money. ‘I don’t think he knew what he was letting himself in for,’ said organising committee member and escort Sheila Roche. ‘My side is still sore from laughing. It was the most genuine fun for everyone involved. We did have a dress-rehearsal but everything was spontaneous on the night.’ The escorts were Catherine Roche, Róisín Tobin, Sharon Doyle, Sheila Roche, Kathleen Redmond, Emma Hearne, Sadbh McCarthy, Pauline McMahon, Sandy Doyle, Theresa Roche, Emma Carroll and Theresa Hore-Meagher.