PICTURES: Glamour and glitz on the Liffey as RTÉ stars meet the 2025 International Roses

Broadcasters Dáithí Ó Sé and Kathryn Thomas have officially welcomed the 2025 Roses in Dublin to launch the 65th Rose of Tralee International Festival.

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This year’s Roses cruised towards Tralee on board the MV Cill Airne from Dublin City this Tuesday as part of the national Rose Tour, which began in Meath on Sunday. this Tuesday as part of the national Rose Tour, which began in Meath on Sunday.

The 32 women from all corners of the globe gathered together in the capital to meet Dáithí and Kathryn who are on board once again and ready to steer the course throughout the festivities.

The Rose of Tralee remains one of Ireland’s most enduring and beloved cultural events, bringing together people from across the country and around the world to celebrate Irish identity, heritage and ambition.

The Festival, which begins on Friday, is supported by over 70 Rose Centres globally in Ireland, the UK, Europe, Middle East, North America, Australia and New Zealand.

The five-day Festival will culminate in the selection of the 2025 International Rose of Tralee. The televised event will take place on Monday, August 18 and Tuesday, August 19 from 8pm, with a break for the Nine O’Clock News and resuming at 9.35pm each night.

The programme will be live on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.

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Speaking in Dublin, Dáithí O Sé said: “Every year, the Rose of Tralee brings something new, new faces, new stories and a renewed sense of pride in the achievements of Irish women across the globe. I’ve been part of the Festival for 15 years now, and I still get that buzz when the Dome lights up and the Roses take to the stage. I can’t wait to do it all over again this year, it’s going to be something special.”

Kathryn Thomas added: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be returning to Tralee for this year’s Festival. Over the past two years, I’ve found it incredibly energising to be surrounded by accomplished, inspiring women who are all part of the same tribe. What I love most is that it’s not all about gowns or glitter. It’s about grit, grace and the powerful stories behind each Rose. I can’t wait to meet this year’s group and be part of the magic all over again.”

Dáithí and Kathryn are the 12th and 13th presenters of the televised selection nights, respectively, following in the footsteps of some of Ireland's most acclaimed broadcasters such as Terry Wogan and Gay Byrne.

This year marks Dáithí’s 15th time hosting the Rose of Tralee selection night the second-highest in the festival’s history, behind Gay Byrne’s record of 20.

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The Rose of Tralee will be available to watch for free, live and on-demand by audiences in Ireland and around the world on RTÉ Player. Features, archive footage, behind-the-scenes content and more will also be available across RTÉ.ie and RTÉ social media platforms over the coming days.

James Patrice returns with backstage antics as the official Rose Reporter.

Follow all the action at home on @rteone channels across Facebook, Instagram, X and Tik Tok. The official hashtag is #roseoftralee.

*PICTURES: ANDRES POVEDA