Molly Fogarty knew that she would have an incredible experience at the Rose of Tralee International Festival in Tralee, Ireland.
But it ultimately exceeded even her lofty expectations.
Fogarty, who hails from North Portal, earned the opportunity to participate in the festival when she was selected as the Rose for Western Canada in late May. She was the first person from Saskatchewan to be the Rose for the West.
The festival is a global celebration of Irish culture.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know it would be life-changing,鈥� Fogarty said in an interview with Lifestyles. 鈥淭he Rose (winner) last year said it would be life-changing, but I was in disbelief, and brushed it off.鈥�
It didn鈥檛 take long for her to realize the magnitude of the event.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e surrounded by 64 other women from all around the world who are so accomplished and hard-working, and they鈥檙e all so inspirational,鈥� said Fogarty.
Fogarty鈥檚 time in Ireland started on a high note when she arrived on Aug. 10. She was picked up by a cousin for a family gathering that had more than 50 people from both sides of her family present. Some she hadn鈥檛 met before. She hadn鈥檛 seen others in years.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just so emotional and overwhelming, in the best way possible, because it鈥檚 so nice that you have that many people there to support you,鈥� said Fogarty. 鈥淎nd there were people in my family who hadn鈥檛 met each other yet, and they only live an hour from each other. So it was really cool to see my family brought together like that.鈥�
Two days later, she embarked on two weeks of event-filled days that often started at 8 a.m. and didn鈥檛 end until midnight.
From Aug. 12 to 15, the 65 Rose contenders visited such attractions as the Kildare Hotel and Golf Club, the Irish National Stud and Gardens horse breeding centre, and the Guinness Brewery. The brewery provided a special souvenir.
鈥淭hey had engraved Guinness glasses sitting for us at our assigned spot,鈥� said Fogarty. 鈥淢ine said Western Canada Rose Molly on it. So that was a really cute touch.鈥�
Large crowds greeted them wherever they went, but the biggest crowds were waiting when they arrived in Tralee on Aug. 16.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 where we also got our escorts, so that was when the fairytale really started,鈥� said Fogarty.
For the next week, it was one event after another for the Roses.\
鈥淭here were people everywhere you went,鈥� said Fogarty. 鈥淓very time you came down from your hotel room, there were kids wanting autographs and pictures with you. There was a book of all 65 of our faces, and some kids wouldn鈥檛 rest until they got (autographs from) all 65 girls before the end of the week.鈥�
Each Rose was assigned an escort for the duration of the festival. The Rose and the escort walked arm in arm wherever they went. Escorts also put food on the Roses plates, pulled out their chairs at restaurants, and even held their handbags and shoes.
鈥淚t definitely set the standards high for men over here,鈥� said Fogarty.
The Roses were also partnered with a young Rosebud, between the age of six and 10. Fogarty was partnered with a girl named Kayleee, who wore a sash. A dance was the highlight for the Rosebuds.
鈥淭hey were the cutest girls I鈥檝e ever seen in my life, and all of us just completely fell in love with them, because it鈥檚 just crazy to see how much little girls look up to you, and it鈥檚 nice to embrace it and have fun with it,鈥� said Fogarty.
The Roses also participated in three parades, but it was the first one that stood out. It was pouring rain 鈥� the only day in which it rained during the trip.
鈥淓ven though I was wearing a floor-length gown, soaking wet, it was so amazing looking out into the crowd, and seeing thousands and thousands of people, drenching wet, just to see the Roses go on the parade,鈥� said Fogarty. 鈥淎t the end of the parade, there were fireworks, and it was just so magical. It鈥檚 sad that I feel like I won鈥檛 ever get to feel that again.鈥�
They also visited museums, where they learned about the War of Independence in 1916. There was also a museum of all the Rose of Tralee鈥檚 dresses.
Other stops included a nursing home and a palliative care unit, where they were able to interact with the residents, who were thrilled to meet all the Roses.
But they were also there to crown this year鈥檚 Rose of Traleee. Each candidate had interviews with judges, and those judges helped Fogarty feel comfortable.
鈥淚 was really happy with all my interviews went,鈥� said Fogarty. 鈥淚 was able to be myself.鈥�
After the private interviews, there were the qualifier nights, when they were on stage in front of the crowds.
鈥淟ooking out into the crowd, and seeing all the Canadian flags waving, and seeing my parents and my cousin, it was such an adrenaline rush,鈥� said Fogarty.
Thirty-two of the Roses reached the final round, which aired on television. Fogarty wasn鈥檛 one of them, but that didn鈥檛 diminish the experience.
The winner, Maggie McEldowney of Chicago, was very deserving, Fogarty said. 聽
鈥淭hey couldn鈥檛 have picked a more perfect human being,鈥� said Fogarty. 鈥淎ll 65 girls could have been the Rose, but I鈥檓 really happy she was. She really deserved it.鈥�
And while it was competitive, Fogarty made so many friends among the Roses and the escorts.
Fogarty became particularly close with the Roses from Newfoundland 鈥� one of three other Canadian Roses in the competition 鈥� Yorkshire, Derby and 麻豆视频 Australia. It鈥檚 been difficult to interact with them since the festival due to time zone differences, but they manage to visit in online group chats.
Once the festival was finished, Fogarty was able to spend a few more days touring the country before returning to Canada on Aug. 27. Now that she has been in the Rose of Tralee festival, she can鈥檛 return as a competitor, but she has a wealth of memories and newfound friendships that will last a lifetime.
