“fans say that it celebrates intelligent and talented women”

As long as they don’t look like the back end of a bus.

A woman could be a self made mutlimillionaire with a life replete of good works, but if she’s as ugly as sin she won’t get a look in.

“They all have lovely bottoms”

The televised part is utter shite but the festival itself is great Craic

I don’t know whats worse, that or the xfactor.

Complete and utter garbage. Total paddywhackery, Daithi and the comely maidens…Jesus wept!!!

absolutly no interest

I’m watching it because I know someone in it.

In fairness, for the contestants its an absolute week of piss up.

When they win, they don’t cry anymore. So even the roses don’t give a rats ass. They are just over for the party!!

It’s twee and outdated. I’m all for tradition but considering it’s broadcast on national television the format needs a serious shakeup. Make it like the Apprentice but with charity and spokesperson related tasks and I’d watch. “You’re NOT our Rose” cue tears

I’ll watch if theres another gem like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MahY3MSRug0&sns=em

I live across the road where the dome is and still wouldn’t watch it. Great atmosphere around the town though

I genuinely wouldn’t watch it if you offered me cash.

Never watched it and never will. Nothing about “beauty” contests interests me. All of it is fake.

It brings €8 million into the country, that’s all I care about.

it’s a laugh watching some of them, with their ‘old bog road songs’ and tracing their ancient ancestry back to before the famine. If I have nothing else to do I’ll watch clips on ‘fast forward’. Kerry certainly know how to bring the tourists to their county, cure Kerry hures.

Strange that so many have very negative opinions of the selection nights considering they have remained in the top 10 most viewed programmes for RTE over the last decade. If all you guys don’t watch it, who does????

Ahahahaha. Course yee will watch it. Just so you can come back on here and complain again how bad it is. Deny it all yee want but they’re people on here where moaning about things is the highlight of their day. Bitter old women are what yee are like.

I would prefere to have a tarantula lay eggs in my ear, then be shot through the neck with an arrow than go through that filth..

Seeing as it is due to be statistically the favourite and most watched ( over two nights ) home produced programme , proves its fantastic overall popularity.

As a proud Tralee person and longtime supporter, I also admire the huge workload and the huge economic results that the people promoting it bring to our Town, County & Country.

I am proud as punch that so many of Irish heritage living abroad and at home, recognise this too.

As a Family orientated huge International Festival , 2012 has proven once again that all of us should recognise that being Irish and being proud of ones heritage , is not such a bad thing overall!

Interesting to read that people who state that they clearly have never watched it can have so much negativity towards it.

Even those people will get a huge welcome in Tralee next year in our welcome home week !

If you don’t like it, don’t watch it.

seen it once, and discovered there are worse things than dieing, its poor, tacky, and total rubbish.

no won’t be watching unless they have added a wet t-shirt competition.

Good old “Farmer wants a wife” cattle mart with nice frocks.

Had a heated discussion yesterday at home about this. Apparently, this is different to the likes of Miss World because they’re “educated and have degrees”, yet they’re reduced down to a shy smile and a sh!te poem about Ballycoisgobdaw where her great-great-great grandmother lived. Still, they get a holiday to Kerry and some Newbridge jewellery for their troubles!

Lovely girls!

Well that video of the Dublin Rose knocked Dev’s idea of comely maidens dancing at the crossroads into a cocked hat anyway!
Won’t be watching (MOTD, etc) but I’m sure it’s a great source of revenue for Tralee and surrounding area so fair play.

Its horrendous and horrid but somehow I cannot look away

I heard a rumour that Ms Merkel is the German Rose.

In the spirit of Fr. Ted, I propose they rename it ‘The Lovely Girls Competition’.

Well said Sean

Rte pull good program’s off there schedule & still put this claptrap on!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4o99f2ErLo
The savage eye sums it up perfectly…Emer Ni Hulahoop!!

I’m not watching until gender quotas are enforced ;) and the Cork rose will walk away with it anyway ;)

Oh look here’s something Irish and successful lets all get the daggers out!!

Not since they stopped automatic entry to Irish counties so if my county is not in then I don’t care to watch plastic paddies from other countries.

The Rose of Tralee is a tradition in a lot of homes in Ireland. I’m not a big fan but I have family who love it and it’s hugely popular. It’s only on two nights a year. Why are people so upset by it? I realise it’s not everyone’s cup of tea but it has got a huge audience. Calm down people!

The ‘Rose of Tralee’ is lowest common denominator drivel – typical air-head beauty pageant crap, despite their degrees and recitations!

No, I’d rather watch something more interesting and relevant.

Yawn!!!

I’ll watch it but only to get a look at the lovely Daithi!!

Is it a rule that contestants cannot be married or have children? I’m asking because I genuinely can’t remember. I know that’s a rule for a lot of other beauty pageants. I don’t have anything against the participates. I remember watching when I was younger and the Roses generally were very accomplished and always seemed lovely and down to earth.

Should we not rename the televised part to “Toddlers & Tierras for Dummies”?