Trevor Quinn
The new Mayo Rose was unveiled on Sunday May 1 last when Belmullet woman Bláthnait Ní Mhurchú was crowned the 2011 Mayo Rose at the Royal Theatre Castlebar.
Bláthnait beat off stiff competition from thirteen other finalists from around the county to take the title and she will now proceed to the Regional Finals in Portlaoise on the June Bank Holiday Weekend.
Speaking to The Mayo News Bláthnait, who has three sisters and five brothers, thanked her family and friends for the wonderful support she received on the night. “All of my family weren’t there,” she jokes, “but I brought the loudest ones”.
Bláthnait performed an Irish dance on stage and she says the support the girls received from an excited audience made the night very special. “Each of the girls had different talents and all of the individual talents were worthy of The Mayo Rose so it was hard to stand out”.
Judges at the event were Patricia Mulvey, Carmel Hough and Maréad Ní Mhaoilchiaráin and the Mayo Rose Committee wish to thankeverybody who assisted with and took part in the event.
Bláthnait, who is employed as a client relationship manager at Healthcare West, was sponsored by Servisourse Recruitment. She was supported at the event by her parents Gearóid and Máirín and a number of her siblings, relatives and friends.
Bláthnait, a fluent Irish speaker, said she intends to use a few ‘cupla focail’ when she represents Mayo at the Rose of Tralee International Regional Finals, which will be held in Portlaoise during the June Bank Holiday weekend.
