Very recently I have found yet another aspect of life to be passionate about, and that is my Irish Heritage. With a last name like O'Donnell and the fairest skin of literally anyone I have met, I decided to venture into my ancestral heritage more than I ever have.
I already knew about Cincinnati's local Irish Heritage Center (IHC) because of my father's involvement there, and decided to check them out and see what they had to offer. Turns out, a lot. They told me about a festival that has been held in Tralee, Ireland since 1959 called The Rose of Tralee International Festival. The event has tons of music, arts, family games, and as the main attraction, the Roses themselves. The Roses are handpicked people from 70 areas around the world and have to go through an application process consisting of interviews, event socializing, and public speaking in order to be selected to represent their region. Once selected, this group of 70 young women travel to Tralee in August to participate in the festivities, and hopefully be chosen as the International Rose.
After the founders of the IHC explained all this to me, they asked if I would like to apply to be the 2016 Ohio Rose. I thought the whole shebang sounded pretty awesome, and so I filled out the paperwork, application, and paid the fees. Ten other girls from around Ohio went through that same procedure, and we all eventually met in Westlake, Cleveland for two weekends during the frigid month of February to complete the interview requirements.
We all became friends throughout the process, and were holding each other on the selection night, waiting to hear who would be representing Ohio in Tralee that year. It seemed as though the emcee spoke in slow motion when he announced my name, and I could hardly believe it was actually happening. The other applicants congratulated me, the 2015 Ohio Rose passed her tiara on, and I had an unforgettable night of celebrating, press interviews, hugs, and photographs until my cheeks couldn't hold my mouth up.
This August will be my very first time going to Ireland, and I will be going for 20 days as (apparently) a person who has achieved celebrity status in Ireland. I'm still in shock and on cloud nine, but I am also extremely ecstatic to meet the other 69 regional Roses, and develop a sisterhood that will last a lifetime.