Rose of Tralee Festival
The Rose of Tralee International Festival is based on the love song The Rose of Tralee, by William Mulchinock a 19th century wealthy merchant who was in love with Mary O'Connor, his maid. Since 1959 the Festival has grown, incorporating centres from all over the world and is firmly established on everyone's events calendar. RTÉ's live coverage of the Rose selection has helped install the Festival in the national psyche, and it has remained their top rating show for many years, with over a million people tuning in for the 2005 result. The Rose of Tralee festival runs from Friday 18th - Tuesday 22nd of August.
