Rose Of Tralee Betting: Who Will Win This Year’s Festival?
Daire Walsh
It came back with a bang last year and with its 62nd edition set to get underway shortly, betting sites are giving their considered take on who is expected to emerge triumphant for the 2023 Rose of Tralee festival.
Following an uninterrupted run from 1959 through to 2019, this much-discussed annual event was put on hold in 2020 and 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, it ultimately made its return to the calendar 12 months ago and Westmeath’s Rachel Duffy became the very first representative of the Lake County to be crowned the Rose of Tralee.
There was another landmark for the festival in 2022 as it was held at the local Munster Technology University (previously known as IT Tralee) for the first time rather than the normal venue of the Festival Dome in the Kerry town.
It will once again be held at MTU this year – in the University’s Kerry Sports Academy, to be exact – and will run for five days from August 18 to August 22, i.e. next Tuesday.
So let’s see what the bookmakers are saying.
Sydney Rose The Favourite With BoyleSports
While it is difficult to predict in advance of the festival who will take home the top prize, specials betting sites have nonetheless installed Sydney’s Aoife Butler as the favourite at 11/4.
A native of Askamore in Wexford, Butler will be representing the Australian city having moved to the southern hemisphere four years ago.
Employed as a mental health clinical nurse educator, she is also in the process of studying for a Masters in Mental Health.
Although there is yet to be a Sydney winner of the Rose of Tralee, Nyomi Horgan, Lisa Manning (both Perth), Kathryn Anne Feeney (Queensland) and Tara Talbot (both Queensland) have won as representatives of Australian cities in the past.
Deering And Heneghan Also In The Reckoning
Just behind Butler in BoyleSports’ betting order are Carlow’s Caoimhe Deering and Kate Heneghan of Mayo – both of them are listed at 10/3.
It should be an interesting festival for Carlow at the very least as Deering’s fellow Barrowsider Kathryn Thomas is on board this year as co-host alongside Kerry’s Daithi O Se. A Geography and English teacher in a secondary school, Deering is heavily involved with her local GAA club Rathvilly.
From Castlebar, Heneghan is a Masters in Music Composition graduate from Ulster University and plays the harp, the violin and the piano. Undoubtedly, she will be keen to showcase her musical talents over the course of the festival.
Kerry And London Reps In The Running For Rose Crown
The Kerry rose is always one to look out for and this year’s representative, Kelsey Lang McCarthy, is currently listed at 5/1 along with Amy Gillen of London.
A native of Cahersiveen, McCarthy is in the final year of studying podiatric medicine at the National University of Galway.
Originally from Donegal but living in London for a number of years, the 27-year-old is another musically gifted contestant as she is a graduate from both the Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM) and the Royal College of Music London.
Laois’ O’Dowd Amongst Those In The Race For Top Prize
Rated at 7/1 with betting apps, Sinead O’Dowd is seeking to become the first Laois woman to win the Rose of Tralee. Yet, she was born and raised in New York – before moving to the O’Moore County at age 16 – and four previous winners have represented the Big Apple.
A little further down the list, Lane Galvin (Meath) and Aoife McDonald (Ottawa) are regarded by BoyleSports as 10/1 hopefuls.
A primary school teacher in the Dublin village of Crumlin, Aisling O’Connor is from Feakle in Clare and is rated at 11/1 as a potential winner for the Banner County.
The last victor from New York was Lisa Murtagh in 2007 and while she is an outside bet at 12/1, Roisin Wiley – who was born in the US to Limerick parents – could be an option worth considering.