THE Rose of Tralee International Festival 2026 featured plenty of Donegal representation.
Westmeath Rose Caoilfhinn Ní Choiligh was eventually crowned the Rose of Tralee last night.
Donegal Rose Emma Nelis did her county proud as she appeared on the selection on Monday.
Emma is 24 years old from Gartan and teaches History and English in Errigal College, Letterkenny.
She was the final Rose to take to the stage on the first selection night and she spoke of her love for her home county in her interview with host Dáithí Ó Sé.
From Gaoth Dobhair to Dubai
Also flying the flag for Donegal was the UAE Rose Enya Crone, who was interviewed last night and has connections to Gaoth Dobhair.
Born and raised in Dubai, Enya’s mother Marie Dawson Crone (née Gallagher) comes from Knockastolar, Bunbeg while her father Chris Crone is from Australia.
Enya recently graduated from the University of York with a degree in Maths and Economics.
She celebrated her 23rd birthday over the course of the festival.
“I was very lucky on the second night it was my birthday, so I was incredibly spoiled by these roses,” Enya told Dáithí. “I got them to sing me Happy Birthday I’d say maybe 20 times.”
Enya confessed a love for all things Donegal and she has happy memories from visiting Gaoth Dobhair growing up.
“I was born and raised in Dubai, my dad is Australian and my mum is from Gaoth Dobhair in Donegal, so I have the weird accent but I’ve always been very connected to the Irish side,” she said.
“I think because Mum is a teacher we spent eight weeks every summer holiday in Gaoth Dobhair and also growing up in Dubai you are really encouraged to share and celebrate your cultures and where you’ve come from, so it was lovely in that sense.”
Keeping traditions alive
She revealed a fondness for hearing Irish spoken in the Donegal Gaeltacht.
“It’s lovely, even when I brought my boyfriend to Gaoth Dobhair he was shocked that everyone really does speak in Gaeilge,” said Enya. “It is just so beautiful, I’m very proud to be from Gaoth Dobhair.
“I think sometimes the people in Gaoth Dobhair can’t figure out my accent, as is the case with I think a few people, but I loved being surrounded by the language. It is just so beautiful.”
Dáithí asked if the conflict in Dubai earlier this year was a “worrying” time.
“I was in university going into my final exams and my parents stayed out in Dubai when all the conflict was happening,” explained Enya.
“It was definitely sort of an uncertain and unsettling time. I think we’re just so grateful to be safe and I think like everyone we’re just really now hoping for peace.”
Despite growing up thousands of miles away in one of the busiest cities in the world, Enya and her sister have kept Irish culture and traditions alive in Dubai through a shared love of Irish dancing.
United Arab Emirates Rose Enya Crone pictured dancing on stage at the Kerry Sports Academy, MTU with Dáithí Ó’Sé during the Rose of Tralee International Festival TV Rose Selection last night.
“Dancing has always been a part of my life growing up in Dubai,” said Enya. “When my sister and I started dancing there was one Irish dancing school, so my sister and I did local féiseanna in and around Donegal then when we were back over the summer.
“Then one day my sister got it in her head that she wanted to qualify and compete at the world championships, which was incredibly rogue because we were in Dubai. There’s not many opportunities to compete and do things like that.
“But with lots of training when we were in Donegal and renting out lots of studios in Dubai and all thanks to my sister I must say, we were the first from the UAE to qualify and represent the UAE at the world championships.”
She praised the Irish community living in the Middle East before performing a slip jig for the audience.
Enya also got to meet none other than Daniel O’Donnell recently at the Dunlewey Festival.
Representation
Melbourne Rose Mikaela Whitty also has ties to Donegal through her maternal grandparents, who both hail from Inishowen.
She has family across the peninsula, from Burt to the Illies, who were watching proudly as Mikaela was interviewed on Monday night.
Two Donegal girls were chosen to be Rose Buds in this year’s festival.
Ria Scanlon from Ballybofey was paired with Newfoundland and Labrador Rose Kathleen Murphy and Ella Timoney from Donegal Town was paired with Emma Nelis.
Killea singer David James performed the famous ballad ‘The Rose of Tralee’ to celebrate the finale after the Westmeath Rose was named the winner.
The 25-year-old bravely shared her story of living with alopecia areata, an autoimmune condition which causes hair loss.
In one of the stand-out moments of the festival, Caoilfhinn removed her wig and showcased some of her own wig designs from her company, The Hair Loss Haven.