PICTURES: Limerick Rose Centre hosts send off party for 2025 Limerick Rose

THERE were celebrations on Friday night as the Limerick Rose Centre hosted a send off Leah McMahon, the 2025 Limerick Rose, as she prepares to represent the treaty county at the upcoming Rose of Tralee festival. 

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Speaking during the event at Bradshaws in Castleconnell, Leah, a 29-year-old financial planner, expressed her excitement and pride: “I feel so privileged that I get the opportunity to show off Limerick because it’s just fantastic.”

When asked about what cause she hoped to raise awareness for during her time as a rose, she said: “I’m a big advocate for financial literacy, especially educating women to be financially independent, It’s something I’m very passionate about.” Leah also spoke openly about working in a male-dominated industry: “I want to shine a light on the fact that even though I might have to shout a little louder, you can knock imposter syndrome on the head and do what you want to do.” 

On what it means to her to be the 2025 Limerick Rose, Leah smiled gleefully: “It means everything to represent a county that has given me everything.”

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Festival Director Suzan O’Gara, who also coordinates the Limerick Rose Centre, said: “All we’re trying to do with the Rose of Tralee is highlight and celebrate Irish women, where they come from and the pride surrounding that. It’s simply just a coming together of Irishness.” 

When asked why the festival remains so popular after seven decades, Suzan explained: “Honestly, it’s the kind of festival  and it always has been that unless you’ve experienced it once, you won’t really get it. The week in Tralee is truly magical.”

The 2025 Rose Tour kicks off this Sunday, August 10,in County Meath. As part of the tour, all 32 international Roses will visit a number of counties, including Limerick on Tuesday and Wednesday, exploring hotspots such as the Savoy Hotel, The George Hotel, and King John’s Castle.

The International Rose of Tralee Festival runs from Friday, August 15 to Tuesday, August 19, with televised selection nights on RTÉ One at 8PM on Monday and Tuesday.

The new International Rose will be crowned  just before 11PM on Tuesday, when limerick locals will be holding their breath to see whether Leah Mcmahon will be the 4th Shannonsider to collect the coveted title, after Diane Hannigan (1984), Muireann Hurley 1944) & Sinead Flanagan (2019).