Waterford Rose Crowned Rose of Tralee

Winterval 2018

Waterford Rose Crowned Rose of Tralee

Waterford Rose Crowned Rose of Tralee 2018 last night.  Waterford Rose Kirsten Mate Maher became the 3rd Waterford Rose to win the prestigious event after Orla Burke in 1977 and Brenda Hyland in 1983.

Kirsten was the winner out of 32 finalists in the 59th installment of the Rose of Tralee and after taking to the stage on Monday last she had to wait until last night to hear that immortal word “Waterford”.
A speechless Kirsten was left dumbfounded when the winner was announced and told Dáithí Ó Sé that she was “speechless”.

Later at a press conference she told reporters “I’m just overwhelmed. I’m going to have to sit down and have a think about what I’m going to do for the year.”

Rose of Tralee
Kirsten with her parents Jacinta Maher and Kwalo Maté (and Dáithí)

Kirsten believes in diversity and in her interview she commented on how the media focused on the colour of her skin, “It shows that we need to look past what we look like, the colour of our skin or our hair, our religion, anything like that, we’re all the same”. (You can see yesterday’s post HERE)

Kirsten is the  eldest of four children and the daughter of Jacinta Maher from Mullinavat and Kwalo Maté from Zambia.
 
From all of us here in Waterford, Kirsten you did us proud!  Up the Déise!


 

Waterford Rose
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