Laois Rose Katelyn Cummins named 2025 Rose of Tralee

Katelyn Cummins from Co Laois has been crowned the 2025 Rose of Tralee. Ms Cummins (20) from Ballyouskill on the Laois-Kilkenny border was crowned after two nights of festivities in the Kingdom. Katelyn is the first Laois Rose representing to take the title. Katelyn was presented with her sash by the 2024 Rose of Tralee Kelly O'Grady just before11.30pm on Tuesday night. The electrical apprentice hopes to pursue an electrical engineering degree in the future. Raised on a dairy farm and involved in the local Macra branch, this fostered a deep sense of love for the outdoors for Katelyn. Speaking to reporters shortly after the show, she said she was “just in shock” when she was announced as Rose of Tralee. “I had my legs crossed, and I thought I was going to fall over, to be honest,” she told the Irish Independent. "I was just in shock. I couldn't believe it when they said Laois. I was like: ‘Oh my God’. I was just thinking of my mum and dad straight away. I could see them straight away down in the crowd. I just wanted to give them a hug,” she added. Ms Cummins said her journey with the festival was “such an unbelievable experience”. "It's so hard to put this experience into words to anybody who hasn’t been involved in this. “I just think I'm going to have an amazing year, and I'm so excited to see the adventures it's going to take me on and the experiences I'm going to create. I'm just so excited.” She added she “absolutely loves” the fact that people are so interested in the fact that she works as an electrician. “I think it's great to get the awareness out there that women can do whatever we want, and we don't need a stigma around it. "We don't need to follow tradition by going to college or anything like that. I think it's amazing that I can just share that as well. "I honestly have no idea what I’m going to tell [my colleagues], I’m just going to tell them that I’ve had the time of my life. I've made absolute best friends that I will have for life. I’m just so excited to take on this journey,” she said. While working in a male-dominated career, she said participating in the competition was “most definitely” a chance for her to embrace her femininity. “I would think I was my true self, most definitely, on that tour. I'm so excited to have 30 new girlfriends now, I just can’t even put it into words. It's just been absolutely incredible.” RTÉ’s Dáithí Ó Sé and Kathryn Thomas made the announcement live from Kerry Sports Academy at MTU to local and global audiences following two exciting TV nights. Over the course of both nights, viewers tuned in from countries including New Zealand, Mozambique, Canada and the United States. Katelyn was whisked away to the streets of Tralee for celebration, where she was presented to the town of Tralee and serenaded in front of the thousands of people that lined out for the Midnight Madness party and a fireworks display. Read the full story here: https://www.independent.ie/entertainm...