‘Times Are Changing’: This Year’s Carlow Rose Reckons It’s Time For The Rose Of Tralee To Be A Mammy

For years, the Rose of Tralee has had a pretty strict set of rules for application – Roses still aren’t allowed to be married or over the age of 27, but ten years ago the competition changed their criteria to allow single mothers to enter.

Despite the ‘new’ rules being a decade old, we’re still awaiting the day a mammy is crowned as the Rose of Tralee. Luckily, the Carlow Rose for 2018, Shauna Ray Lacey, is aiming to do just that.

The 24-year-old is mother to a three-year-old daughter, Emmy. Speaking to Carlow Live, she said:

I can’t wait to make an impact in Tralee, times are changing and I feel we need a mother rose – I’m so excited. It’s been an amazing experience – and out of the 57 Roses this year I’m the only one with a child.

Shauna is sure little Emmy will be her biggest supporter alongside her partner, John – and her hometown will of course be cheering her on.

The town has really got behind me, the support has been fantastic right across the county.

You go Shauna! This year’s Rose of Tralee takes place from August 17-21 – we’ll definitely be rooting for the Carlow Rose, and hope she paves the way for the competition to become more inclusive.

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