WHEN Killaloe girl Nuala McKeogh was only eight her father beamed with pride when the Clare Rose sash was placed on her and she was serenaded with My Lovely Rose of Clare. But that was only for dramatic purposes in a school drama about Clare’s success in the All-Ireland.
Little did she know then that one day she would represent the Banner County as the real Clare Rose.
Twenty-three year-old primary school teacher Nuala was chosen last month to represent Clare in the Irish Regional Rose of Tralee Finals in Portlaoise over the June Bank Holiday Weekend.
Nuala is a Clare girl through and through and has been heavily involved in local sports, arts and community events since she was a child.
She hails from a farm in Ballycourney, about two miles from Killaloe.
Nuala was educated in Killaloe Girls’ Primary School and in St Anne’s Community College and went on to train as a primary school teacher in Mary Immaculate College of Education in Limerick. She graduated in 2007 and got a job teaching in Killaloe Boys’ National School, where she has been remained teaching since. This year she is teaching 12 second-class boys and seven third-class boys. The second class pupils will be making their First Holy Communion this Saturday in St Flannan’s Church, Killaloe.
She is the daughter of Marian and Denis McKeogh. Her mother is a housewife, originally from Portroe, County Tipperary, and her dad is a retired farmer, who has lived on the family farm in Ballycourney all of his life.  She has three brothers, Paul, Brian and Aidan and two sisters, Maeve and Sara.
Nuala says that she’s not one for sitting around doing nothing and she likes to keep herself (and others) occupied, clearly evident in the long list of interests and hobbies she has. “I love sports, music and art. In school I played almost every sport available but concentrated on basketball, camogie and soccer. Outside of school sports, I was involved with the local youth club and played unihoc. Our team won the Munster unihoc finals at U-16 and 19 level and won the all-Ireland U-19 title three years ago. I also played ladies’ Gaelic football with Smith O’Brien’s in Killaloe. These days I play soccer with Bridge Celtic ladies and we have won Division 2B in the ladies’ Limerick league last year and the year before. I was captain last year so I was particularly chuffed when we won. The girls I play with are a great group and we have brilliant craic together and are really committed to the team,” Nuala explains.
While she loves all the sports she plays, she admits that hurling is her first love, in terms of sports at least. “My three brothers and my boyfriend, Trevor Howard, all play with Smith O’Brien’s. I’ve been going to their matches since I was a small girl and I’ve also been to lots of Clare hurling matches, the good and the bad ones. I went to the All-Ireland final in 1997 and last year I went with my dad to the U-21 final, which of course we won,” she remarks.
Nuala is also into music, both performing and listening. “I’ve played the piano since I was about seven and the guitar since I was 12. I did exams in piano as far up as Grade 3 but I had enough of the exams then and just decided to continue learning the songs I wanted to play on piano. It’s the same with guitar, I learned to play it properly, but just play what I like on it. I like a variety of music, from Christy Moore and ballads to some of the music in the charts. I couldn’t say I like one kind more than another, because there really is different kind of music for different things,” Nuala adds.
She has been a member of the Killaloe Folk Group since she was nine. “We sing at mass nearly every Sunday and we try to perform as well as we can for the congregation. There is a group of us who have come up all the way with the folk group, so we are used to playing together. It’s always lovely to get new members as well as it brings a new dynamic and sound to the group”. She sang She Moved Through the Fair at the Clare Rose selection event.
Nuala also loves to sketch and paint and has given some of her own pictures to friends and family, who have them on display in their homes. “I certainly wouldn’t call myself an artist or anything like it but the people I’ve given my paintings to have them hanging up so they mustn’t be too bad either,” she jokes.
Her bubbly personality and love of performing was recognised at an early age and as far back as 1995 she was cast as Biddy Early in the school play based on Clare hurling and the All-Ireland. “The play was basically about converting Biddy Early to supporting Clare hurling, which the team managed to do.  At the end of the play they ripped off the black cloak and I was wearing as Biddy Early and I was left wearing the Clare colours. The Clare hurlers in the play put the sash of the Rose of Clare on me and they all sang My Lovely Rose of Clare. Little did I know then that I would be the Clare Rose. My dad was as proud as punch at that and I think he had his mind made up that one day I’d be the Clare Rose.”
Nuala admits that she has always wanted to enter the Clare Rose competition. “I respect the Rose competition, because it is not based on anything superficial and it really is based on personality, involvement in various activities and a certain amount on achievements. It also requires a level of assertiveness and good presentation. It’s also clear from some of the other Roses that I have met that they want girls who are down to earth to be involved in the competition. I really am privileged to have been selected as the Clare Rose. I’m not just saying this but the other girls in the Clare selection event were very nice and we had a lovely day together,” Nuala comments.
She adds that while it was something she wanted to do, the staff in the school and her father really made her go for it this year.
“Since the first year I came to the school to teach, the staff were encouraging me to enter the Rose competition. This year they even printed out the entry forms for me and left them on my desk with an envelope.  Their support has been wonderful and they are egging me on all the way.”
Nuala has been hesitant to approach businesses for sponsorship this year. “Times are tight for businesses so I felt bad going to people asking for sponsorship. After I had approached only two local businesses I thought I’d hit a block and wouldn’t be able to enter the competition. When the school’s acting principal, Elaine White, heard that I wouldn’t be able to enter without a sponsor, she decided that the school would sponsor me, so basically all of the staff in the school have chipped in to make sure I’d enter the competition. I was so delighted that their backing me paid off. I’d love to go further now for them, my local community too, as much as for myself,” she says.
She adds that she has been “mortified” at all of the good wishes and support she has been getting from her local community and all connected with the school.
“The school is getting a great kick out of me being the Clare Rose. The boys at the start were hilarious about it. The day that I came back to school after I was crowned as the Clare Rose, some of the younger boys didn’t know what had happened. They had heard something nice had happened to me but weren’t quite sure what it was. One little lad thought I’d got married. There was a great buzz when a local photographer came in to take my photo in the school. I had to put on the sash and crown and pose with the boys so the boys thought I was a princess. On another day that week we were going swimming and on the bus they started singing My Lovely Rose of Clare. They have been very sweet about it.  At assembly the staff presented me with a bouquet of red roses and all of the children had a picture of a red rose and they all had little messages wishing me well. It was very touching and they made me feel very special. Whatever happens from here in the competition, I will always cherish those moments and the sentiments shared with me,” she adds.
The next competitive part of the Rose of Tralee process for Nuala is the Irish regional Rose selection in Portlaoise from June 3-7. The regional finals will decide which Roses make it to the finals in Tralee.
“All Roses who take part have won Rose selection heats in their own counties. Judges at the Irish regional final selection choose six Roses to join roses from Dublin, Cork, and Kerry at the International Festival. These six Roses include one from each of the four provinces, Munster, Connacht, Ulster and Leinster and two wildcards, so there will be nine Roses from counties in Ireland represented at the international final.
This year the Irish regional final event will also incorporate the British regional final and the North American regional final,” Ciarán McConnell of the Clare Rose Branch says.
Nuala adds that she is looking forward to the three-day event and to meeting the other Roses. “It will be a lot of fun and will be nice to have an excuse to get dressed up and represent my county. I’ll need day wear, basically the kind of clothes you would wear for the races, as well as three formal dresses, which friends are helping me out with. Over the three days we will be visiting local attractions and taking part in a vintage car parade, which will be mad.”
Nuala will be up against the Tipperary, Waterford and Limerick Roses for a place in the Rose of Tralee finals. “To be honest, I can’t go into it thinking about that competitive element of it. I am hopeful but honestly I’m just delighted to be the Clare Rose. Of course, I’d love to get through but I cannot look at it that I’ll be up against the other girls because I wouldn’t get anywhere by being overly competitive,” she says.
Ciarán agrees. “Nuala is a great candidate for Clare and we know that she will do us proud, regardless of whether she is selected for the finals or not.”
He adds that sponsorship of any kind for Nuala would be greatly appreciated. “We wouldn’t be actually looking for a main sponsor for her unless she gets through to the finals but even at this stage if there is anyone who would like to help sponsor any of her clothes, shoes or jewellery, which has to be Newbridge Silverware, we would be delighted for their help.”