News from Ireland - news from around the 32 counties

And last week, after an involvement spanning 51 years, the Limerick Rose Committee/Kerry Association in Limerick has announced that it is handing back the running of the Limerick Rose selection to the International Rose of Tralee Festival.

“It was very sad that for the 50th Rose of Tralee in 2009 we had no Rose. There were other centers represented in Tralee for the first time who have not been back sense, I suppose that was very heartbreaking for us,” said Martina Murphy who was involved in the Limerick Rose Committee for 11 years.

Since a new selection structure was introduced in 2005, Limerick Roses have no longer secured an automatic entry to the final in Tralee and have, instead, had to go through regional finals. Limerick qualified at the regional finals in 2005, 2006 and 2007, however, for the last four years Limerick has not had a Rose on stage in Kerry.

According to Ms Murphy, a teacher at the Salesian Secondary School on the North Circular Road, she has raised this issue every year with the Rose of Tralee committee but to no avail: “I would say Tralee were sick of hearing my voice at the end of the phone.

“We were very vocal about the regional final and the unfairness of it but we had an excellent working relationship with them. Anthony O’Gara has spoken publicly about how we were the strongest committee in the world – definitely the largest committee as well. But we just couldn’t get past it. The loyalty of the 50 years didn’t really make any difference to automatic entry. We were put into the pot alongside the others. What was unfair, I suppose, was Cork and Dublin had automatic entry whereas we didn’t,” she said.

A letter was sent by the Limerick Committee to Tralee last week outlining its decision, and as of yet there has been no response. “They might be on holidays or they might be out of the country but we are yet to receive a response. We do wish our successors well,” said Ms Murphy.
(Source: Limerick Leader)

Longford

Gardai in Longford are currently seeking the public’s assistance following a serious sexual assault in Longford town during the early hours of last Monday morning.

The incident, which has been described by Longford Gardai as “very serious”, took place at the railway bridge near Farneyhoogan, Longford between 12am and 12.30am.

The woman, who is local and in her mid-thirties, was walking alone when she was attacked near the railway bridge, close to the old swimming pool.

During the violent attack, the woman was sexually assaulted and she is said to be heavily traumatised following her ordeal.
(Source: Longford Leader)

Louth

A lucky Dundalk girl was plucked from the audience and invited on stage for a dance number with global superstar Rihanna at her sell-out show in the O2 in Dublin on Monday, October 3.

Anita Salako from the Avenue Road, Dundalk was “thrilled” to have been picked to go on stage with the singer who is famous for her mega-hit singles such as Umbrella, Take a Bow, Only Girl (In the World), What’s My Name? and Disturbia.

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Nster.com