GLAMOUR, intelligence, beauty and talent will feature in abundance this weekend as 19 young hopefuls take to the stage to compete for the honour of representing Clare in the 2009 Rose of Tralee competition.
The Clare finals take place this Friday at the West County Hotel, Ennis and are open to the public.
The contestants are Orla Thornton (Scariff), Lorraine Lafferty (Doolin), Áine Lynch (Sixmilebridge), Marie Lynch (Kilmaley), Róisín Glynn (Miltown Malbay), Audrey Flynn (Ennis), Emma Tierney (Ennis), Noelle Arthur (Inagh), Brendan
Wall (Shannon), Michelle Moroney (O’Callaghan’s Mills), Faun Corry (Tulla), Shauna Browne (Ballyavughan), Aoife Crowley (Ennis), Aideen O’Sullivan (Ennis), Michelle McMahon (Ennis), April Forde (Barefield), Mary Liz Ryan (Killaloe), Karoline O’Sullivan (Ennis) and Aisling Cullinan (Crusheen).
The lucky lady will go forward to represent the county in the Irish regional finals at the Portlaoise Heritage Hotel on the weekend of May 30 and June 1.
Chairman of the Clare committee, Ciarán O’Connell from Corofin, said that anyone interested in experiencing a taste of what the whole Rose of Tralee pageant has to offer should attend Friday’s event. “This year we have some great and talented young ladies and it should be a fun-filled, energetic night,” he added.
Fergal D’arcy will be the MC for the Clare event.
The 2009 Rose of Tralee International Festival will take place from August 21 to August 26 and it is a special celebration of 50 years of the pageant.