Alice O'Sullivan
Encyclopedia
Alice O'Sullivan is the first ever winner of The Rose of Tralee
, having been crowned in 1959. In 2009, she was one of the judges for the fiftieth anniversary of the festival. Rosita Boland of The Irish Times
commented on O'Sullivan's admission that she had not watched any of the television coverage of the event in the years since her win: "This has to make her perspective tonight and tomorrow—on the annual mini-dramas of frocks, party pieces and lovely girls—unique among all past and present Rose of Tralee judges".
O'Sullivan was born in Dublin. She has lived in Roundwood
, County Wicklow
for four decades. Her father was a civil servant in Tralee, County Kerry
. Working as an air hostess
, she entered the Rose of Tralee at the age of 19. She later noted that she had to enter the hall alone as there was no escort system in the early years and that she had thought: "God, this is embarrassing". As the Dublin Rose, she beat four other contestants; two from the United Kingdom
, one from New York
and one from Tralee. Her prize involved the presentation of trophies at the races in Tralee for one week. Her win was not broadcast on national television, as was the case in later years, but it was shown to an audience in a local parish hall. T. Ryle Dwyer's The Rose of Tralee, Fifty Years A-Blooming stated that "a whole entertainment ecosystem" involving donkeys and sheepdogs emerged from O'Sullivan's victory in the pageant. Despite this, media hype
was virtually non-existent when compared to modern festivals and O'Sullivan managed to get away with claiming that her cousin had won instead of her.
O'Sullivan was heavily involved in the promotion of the fiftieth anniversary of the Rose of Tralee. On 24 January 2009, she appeared alongside then Rose Aoife Kelly on Tubridy Tonight
to discuss the event's fiftieth anniversary on live television
. She also contributed to Five Decades of Roses, a documentary which was originally aired on 24 August 2009 and gained a 36% audience share.
Upon her return as judge for the fiftieth anniversary, O'Sullivan described that year's bunch as "absolutely splendid and well-travelled" and said she was "astounded" by them. She described the judging process as "both interesting and challenging". O'Sullivan partied all night, provoking that year's winner Charmaine Kenny to say she felt like "a bit of a party popper" for having had one hour of sleep and "a bit of a lightweight beside her". O'Sullivan, instead of going to bed, then embarked on a 3 kilometre walk the following morning. Victoria Mary Clarke
later wrote in the Sunday Independent
of how O'Sullivan "glided glamorously through the hotel", commenting that "when I am her age, I would not object to being like her".
Rose of Tralee (festival)
The Rose of Tralee festival is an international competition which is celebrated among Irish communities all over the world. The festival takes its inspiration from a nineteenth century ballad of the same name about a woman called Mary, who because of her beauty was called The Rose of Tralee. The...
, having been crowned in 1959. In 2009, she was one of the judges for the fiftieth anniversary of the festival. Rosita Boland of The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
commented on O'Sullivan's admission that she had not watched any of the television coverage of the event in the years since her win: "This has to make her perspective tonight and tomorrow—on the annual mini-dramas of frocks, party pieces and lovely girls—unique among all past and present Rose of Tralee judges".
O'Sullivan was born in Dublin. She has lived in Roundwood
Roundwood
Roundwood, historically known as Tochar , is a village in County Wicklow, Ireland. It was listed as having a population of 589 in the census of 2006....
, County Wicklow
County Wicklow
County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...
for four decades. Her father was a civil servant in Tralee, County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
. Working as an air hostess
Flight attendant
Flight attendants or cabin crew are members of an aircrew employed by airlines primarily to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers aboard commercial flights, on select business jet aircraft, and on some military aircraft.-History:The role of a flight attendant derives from that of similar...
, she entered the Rose of Tralee at the age of 19. She later noted that she had to enter the hall alone as there was no escort system in the early years and that she had thought: "God, this is embarrassing". As the Dublin Rose, she beat four other contestants; two from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, one from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and one from Tralee. Her prize involved the presentation of trophies at the races in Tralee for one week. Her win was not broadcast on national television, as was the case in later years, but it was shown to an audience in a local parish hall. T. Ryle Dwyer's The Rose of Tralee, Fifty Years A-Blooming stated that "a whole entertainment ecosystem" involving donkeys and sheepdogs emerged from O'Sullivan's victory in the pageant. Despite this, media hype
Media circus
Media circus is a colloquial metaphor, or idiom, describing a news event where the media coverage is perceived to be out of proportion to the event being covered, such as the number of reporters at the scene, the amount of news media published or broadcast, and the level of media hype...
was virtually non-existent when compared to modern festivals and O'Sullivan managed to get away with claiming that her cousin had won instead of her.
O'Sullivan was heavily involved in the promotion of the fiftieth anniversary of the Rose of Tralee. On 24 January 2009, she appeared alongside then Rose Aoife Kelly on Tubridy Tonight
Tubridy Tonight
Tubridy Tonight is an Irish chat show hosted by Ryan Tubridy that aired for five series on RTÉ One between 2004 and 2009. The programme featured guest interviews , audience participation and live music from both a guest music group and the house band...
to discuss the event's fiftieth anniversary on live television
Live television
Live television refers to a television production broadcast in real-time, as events happen, in the present. From the early days of television until about 1958, live television was used heavily, except for filmed shows such as I Love Lucy and Gunsmoke. Video tape did not exist until 1957...
. She also contributed to Five Decades of Roses, a documentary which was originally aired on 24 August 2009 and gained a 36% audience share.
Upon her return as judge for the fiftieth anniversary, O'Sullivan described that year's bunch as "absolutely splendid and well-travelled" and said she was "astounded" by them. She described the judging process as "both interesting and challenging". O'Sullivan partied all night, provoking that year's winner Charmaine Kenny to say she felt like "a bit of a party popper" for having had one hour of sleep and "a bit of a lightweight beside her". O'Sullivan, instead of going to bed, then embarked on a 3 kilometre walk the following morning. Victoria Mary Clarke
Victoria Mary Clarke
Victoria Mary Clarke is an Irish journalist and writer. She writes a column for the Sunday Independent. She has also written for The Guardian and the Daily Mail. She is the author of Angel in Disguise?....
later wrote in the Sunday Independent
Sunday Independent
The Sunday Independent is a broadsheet Sunday newspaper published in Ireland by Independent News and Media plc. The newspaper is edited by Aengus Fanning, and is the biggest selling Irish Sunday newspaper by a large margin ; average circulation of 291,323 between June 2004 and January 2005,...
of how O'Sullivan "glided glamorously through the hotel", commenting that "when I am her age, I would not object to being like her".
External links
- Official portrait
- Appearance on Tubridy TonightTubridy TonightTubridy Tonight is an Irish chat show hosted by Ryan Tubridy that aired for five series on RTÉ One between 2004 and 2009. The programme featured guest interviews , audience participation and live music from both a guest music group and the house band...
(video)