Longford has a new Rose. Ballymackeegan native Ciara Kearney was crowned the Butler Manufacturing Services Longford Rose 2008 by the outgoing Rose Grannine Fox at a gala reception in the Longford Arms Hotel last Friday night.

Speaking to the Leader this week the new Rose said that she was absolutely delighted to become the Longford Rose and she said that she had big shoes to fill following on from her predecessor’s success and also the success of the current Rose of Tralee Lisa Murtagh whose father hails from Longford. Ciara is 23 years old. A National School teacher working in Edenderry, she is the youngest in the Kearney family and has two brothers and one sister.

“I am delighted, thrilled and excited about becoming the Longford Rose,” she said. “I couldn’t believe it when I heard my name called out because all the girls were really lovely.”

Ciara is now preparing for the regional final of the contest which takes place in Portlaoise from June 12-15 next. There, Ciara will represent Co Longford along with 34 other Roses from the region, where seven will be selected to participate in the eagerly anticipated Rose of Tralee Final in the Dome in Kerry this coming August.

Already the new Longford Rose is being groomed for the contest. She met Ray D’Arcy at the weekend in preparation for the regional final, which he will host and an array of interviews and photo shoots have now become part and parcel of her participation in the Rose of Tralee contest.

Ciara said that she had often thought about entering the Longford Rose but would never have had the courage to do it herself. She explained that it was her boyfriend who entered her into the 2008 contest and she is delighted now that he did so!

She went on to establish that she was excited about the forthcoming events and that she was very proud to represent her native county at such a prestigious contest.

“I’m very proud to represent Co Longford in the regional finals of the Rose of Tralee. I also know that I have very big boots to fill. The outgoing Longford Rose, Grainne Fox was great and she is already on hand to give me loads of advice and of course the current Rose of Tralee has very strong Longford connections. I am looking forward to the regional finals,” she said.

Ciara was crowned in full of a packed function room in the Longford Arms on Friday night following one of the most hotly contested Longford Rose competitions in recent years. Judges on the night were Pat Kiernan, a native of Mullinalaghta, former Rose escort Barry Mollaghan of Physio Works in Longford town adn former Escort of the Year Ciaran O’Donnell from Clare.