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06 Sept 2025
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06 Sept 2025
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The Longford Rose Grace Kemple Pictures; Shelley Corcoran
Twenty-three years old Grace Kemple will represent Longford at the Rose of Tralee International Festival in August.
Grace was chosen as Longford's first Rose since 2019 at last night's entertaining Longford Rose Selection event in the Longford Arms Hotel.
Thirteen impressive hopefuls were vying to win the coveted sash and it was former Ballymahon Vocational School student Grace, who was interviewed live on stage by Benny O'Brien, that won the verdict of the judging panel.
Grace will now have the honour of becoming the sixth Longford Rose to appear on stage at the world famous Tralee Dome, following in the footsteps of Marie Brady (2019), Caroline Doyle (2016), Daphne Howard (2015), Aisling Farrell (2013) and Grainne Fox (2007).
Sponsored on the night by Iron Kingdom Gym, Grace is a General Nurse and she is currently completing her Higher Diploma in Midwifery.
Grace says that midwifery has always been her dream job, adding that ‘helping bring new life into the world is such a privilege’.
She enjoys keeping active and in her spare time she does pilates and goes to the gym.
Grace says the Rose of Tralee is something she always wanted to do, and she is looking forward to representing Longford at the Rose of Tralee International Festival.
On their journey to The Dome, the Roses will visit some of Ireland’s most famous and symbolic, historic sporting and tourism landmarks and county Longford is one of the tour destinations, along with counties Wexford, Kildare, Meath, Offaly and Limerick. So that is something for very special for Grace to look to forward to.
As the 2023 Longford Rose, Grace will be sponsored by Grafters Hair Company Longford where the lucky Rose will have Pauline Coady Belton and her team looking after her for her reign as Longford Rose.
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