Caoimhe in bid for the New Zealand Rose title
WEXFORD woman Caoimhe Finn is making a bid to represent New Zealand in the International Rose of Tralee Festival.
Caoimhe (25) whose family lives in The Faythe will compete for the New Zealand Rose title at a selection event in Taranaki on North Island on Friday and Saturday June 8 and 9, with the winner receiving a trip to Ireland for the festival in August.
A daughter of Tom and Deirdre Finn, Caoimhe was selected to represent Otago in the forthcoming competition and is excited about getting a chance to represent New Zealand back home in Ireland.
The former Loreto secondary school student who obtained a BA degree in English and Drama and a Masters degree in Drama and Performance from University College Dublin, moved to Dunedin on New Zealand’s South Island with her Irish-born boyfriend William two years ago.
She is an undergraduate administrator at the Dunedin School of Medicine in the University of Otago Medical School, organising rural and GP placements for medical students.
Because Otago, in South Island, didn’t have an Irish society to host a regional competition, Caoimhe travelled to Invercargill for the Southland society’s competition where she was named the Otago Rose.
For the performance section of the event, she performed a jazz dance to Mr. Bojangles by Robbie Williams, which will come as no surprise to those who know her as a talented former student of Suzanne O’ Leary in the Wexford School of Ballet and Performing Arts.
She started ballet classes when she was three years old. She is a part-time fitness instructor, teaching Barre Base classes in Dunedin and is also a Crossfit fanatic. Barre Base incorporates elements of ballet, pilates, yog and body-weight training.
Caoimhe said her involvement in the competition is ‘a dream come true’. She has always wanted to take part in the Rose of Tralee festival and she would love to represent New Zealand.
Her family and friends in Wexford are very proud of her achievement and wish her well.