Kildare Rose Emer Fogarty is second favourite to win Rose of Tralee

Kildare’s Emer Fogarty is now second favourite to win the Rose of Tralee at 4/1, with the Limerick Rose still holding the favourite's tag. 

Aslan closed the first night of the Rose of Tralee with an apt rendition of ‘Crazy World’ after the festival was lit up with exhibitions of weightlifting, tattooing and dog training.

However, it was the last Rose to take the stage who caught the eye as Kildare Rose Emer Fogarty brought the house down with a heart-wrenching performance of ‘The Parting Glass’ in memory of her late father.

There was a standing ovation from the audience in the Dome but now punters are latching on to the chances of her bringing the winner’s sash back to Kildare for the first time after she closed into 4/1 second favourite from 8/1 following her appearance.

Melbourne Rose Jordan Balfry, originally from Caherconlish in Limerick, went down a storm on social media as she spoke about her recent work in the Australian prison system and her compassionate contribution has seen her odds crash all the way into 10/1 from 25/1.

That gives Limerick a major chance of delivering this year’s winner, as their representative Sinéad Flanagan, a junior doctor, was the subject of a significant move in the betting as she jumped up to Even money favourite from 20/1 on the eve of her TV appearance.

Lawrence Lyons, spokesperson for BoyleSports said: “Emer Fogarty’s performance went down extremely well with punters and it looks like she has given Kildare a lively chance. But Limerick’s Sinéad Flanagan will grace the stage later with the burden of being favourite after she was heavily backed into Evens from 20/1 to be crowned the winner.”