Best thing I’ve ever done - Mayo Rose

BIG MOMENT  Mayo Rose Rachel Gibbons is pictured backstage at the Dome in Tralee before her appearance on stage, where she was interviewed by DΡithí Ó Sé.

Ciara Galvin

MAYO Rose Rachel Gibbons has described her Rose of Tralee experience as ‘surreal’.
The Carnacon native told The Mayo News she is getting back into ‘routine’ after the Rose of Tralee Festival last month.
“I didn’t hang around too much, it’s good that I didn’t, if I was sitting  at home you’d just be dwelling on the past. It’s good to be back at work with people around you,” said the Accounts Assistant.
Ms Gibbons said she and her rose fraternity have already had reunions and are busy planning trips overseas to open the Christmas Markets in Munich and walk in next year’s St Patrick’s Day parade in New York.
“It’s going to be a hectic year but I can’t wait, the company I work for, JJ Rhatigans, have been so good to me with time off.”
Reflecting on her time in Tralee, the Mayo Rose said there were ‘no words to describe it’ and said the roses were treated like ‘royalty’.
“I had the best few weeks of my life so far. It was just insane, the friendships we’ve made with the girls and the escorts, it’s like a big family.”

On stage
The standout moment for Rachel was being on stage in The Dome with DΡithí Ó Sé.
“To be able to stand in front of an audience and represent your county on live TV is just insane.”
Asked was she nervous before taking the stage first on night two of the live TV airing, Rachel said she surprisingly wasn’t.
“I actually wasn’t nervous before going on stage, I was during the day, there was a half hour where I was like ‘I can’t do it’, but once I got to the Dome and saw the crowd, I didn’t really have a chance to get nervous. DΡithí makes you feel so comfortable.”
Though the schedule for the roses was gruelling with hair and makeup kicking off most days at 6.30am, Rachel said she could not fault any of it because it was so well organised.
Now the Mayo Rose is hoping to organise talks in local secondary schools regarding mental health, attend charity events and take part in some judging duties.