As the 2025 Rose of Tralee is crowned, another former Rose has shared the beautiful way the festival has shaped her path in life.
Siobhéal Nic Eochaidh competed as the Dublin Rose in 2011 and memorably performed a hip hop dance that prompted her to go viral, but not everyone was a fan.
She now runs Rosie & Dott, an affordable accessories line for brides, which she founded in honour of her late friend, whom she met at the festival, Dorothy 'Dott' Moriarty Henggler.
Dorothy competed as the Washington D.C. Rose that year, but was tragically diagnosed with a brain tumour and died in 2014 just before her 28th birthday.
In a series of heartfelt pictures on Tuesday, Siobhéal wrote of how she wanted to honour her friend with her accessories line but also delved into all the ways the Rose of Tralee continues to enrich her life, including helping her to meet her future husband.
They start out with her on stage with Daithí at the festival, and she writes: 'If I could go back in time and tell this young girl anything, I'd tell her to ignore the trolls.
'To be proud of the fact that she was 100 per cent her authentic self on the stage of the Dome that night.'
'I'd tell her that the people she's about to meet through the festival will change her life. '
From there, Siobhéal remembers her late friend with a gorgeous picture of Dott during the festival and writes: 'I'd tell her that she'd lose her friend and Washington D.C. Rose, Dott.
'She will turn her sadness into something special to honour her friend. Her company will be called Rosie & Dott, and this company will support her, her sister, her Mam and Dad.'
Siobhéal goes on to talk about meeting her partner, with a picture from their wedding day saying: 'I'd tell her that her friend and escort from 2011, Conor would introduce her to Brian.
'And, that she'd be mad about him from the second she met him.'
The next pictures in the set address the bond she still has with her pals from the Rose of Tralee, even as they've moved back to Australia and America.
They are so close that Siobhéal asked the Donegal Rose from that year to be her daughter's godmother.
Siobhéal also talks of how that group of roses has vowed to continue to honour Dott throughout their lives.
In somewhat of a full-circle moment, she also mentions how subsequent Roses have chosen to wear her accessories on their wedding day.
Her success in business has also allowed her to sponsor future Dublin roses in the festival for their rose tours, and she signs of her story saying, 'I'd tell her without that dance, she wouldn't be where she is today.'
