Roses will attend Taste of Kildare during visit to county

The 65 Roses who will compete for the Rose of Tralee later this year will be treated to the best of Kildare’s culinary delights at the Taste of Kildare event in August.

Kildare is set to showcase its wonderful visitor attractions and the best that the county’s great restaurants, food producers and suppliers have to offer at the K Club on Sunday, August 19.

At the same time the county will host Roses before they take part in the Festival and they will be staying in Glenroyal Hotel in Maynooth.

Among them will be Victoria Sexton, the Florida Rose and niece of Taste of Kildare food festival partners David and Susan Sexton, Kildare Farm Foods, Rathmuck. 

"We will be especially delighted to welcome Victoria,” said Aine Mangan, CEO of Kildare Fáilte. “This is a wonderful opportunity to promote Kildare as a county to visit and spend some time exploring and enjoying a wealth of experiences.”

“Food is at the heart of Kildare’s tourist offering and Kildare Fáilte looks forward to introducing the Roses to our amazing restaurants and wonderful artisan food producers and suppliers.”

Aine Mangan, CEO Kildare Fáilte and Mayor of Kildare, Martin Miley with Kildare Rose, Grainne Carr, Ardclough and current Rose of Tralee, Dr Jennifer Byrne

The reigning Rose of Tralee, Offaly Rose Dr Jennifer Byrne, and newly-selected Kildare Rose, Grainne Carr from Ardclough, joined Mayor of Kildare Cllr Martin Miley to announce details of this year’s Kildare Rose of Tralee Tour Programme.

The Kildare Rose of Tralee Tour will commence with a welcome reception in Athy on Monday, August 14, before an Ernest Shackleton-themed outdoor adventure around the town, celebrating the county’s great explorer. The following day, Tuesday, will see the Roses stopping off at Solas Bhride en-route to Kildare village.

The Roses will climb the Kildare Round Tower, the highest accessible round tower in Ireland, standing at just over 107 feet, where they will enjoy beautiful views and sample some St Brigid’s Ale, as well as visiting the birthplace and statue of Arthur Guinness in Celbridge.

In an action-packed day, turf cutting and brown bread making is also on the agenda at Lullymore Heritage Park, one of the top family attractions in Ireland, as well as golf at the legendary K Club and racing at Mondello Park, Ireland’s only international motorsport venue.

“We hope the Roses’ experiences in Kildare will serve as a calling card for the county and that they will gather wonderful memories to share with friends and relations.”

For more information about this year’s Kildare Rose of Tralee Tour, click here