Killucan man is Escort to Derry girl at Rose festival
Holding doors, holding handbags – they’re all tasks on the list of responsibilities for Thomas Callaghan, who is on duty as Escort to the Derry Rose at the Rose of Tralee Festival.
What Killucan man Thomas diplomatically doesn’t mention is that the bookies have his rose, Darcy Taylor, listed as outright favourite to be named Rose of Tralee 2024 when winner is announced tonight, Tuesday.
Thomas, his fellow escorts and all the Roses have been on duty since Friday: “It’s been a fantastic experience so far – unforgettable, to be honest,” he says. “The welcome we received down here from everyone – in the street, in the hotels and at all the engagements – it’s been absolutely unforgettable.”
For the escorts and the Roses, activities can begin as early as 10am and finish up around 1am, depending on the engagements for the day: “It could be parades, it could be a meet-and-greet walking around Tralee. We’ve gone to greyhound racing; charity events, local libraries, local parks. We’ve been getting a real feel for Tralee – and the Tralee people are amazing: the support and the work they have done for the Roses and the Escorts has really made the festival for me.”
Thomas admits he wasn’t fully aware of all that the festival involved.
“It’s hard to know in advance what to expect when you come down here. Everyone sees the two nights on TV but we don’t really see what happens from the Friday to the Monday night. That’s what really shocked me: the level of support, the crowds and the atmosphere. It is electric.
“As you walk the street with the Roses, you just see the excitement in everyone’s faces, with people crossing the road to come up to the Roses and get their signatures and get their photographs taken with them. It definitely has been an eye opener.”
Naturally, with all the attention, everyone has to look at their best all the time. So for the Escorts, that means being, as Thomas puts it, “suited and booted” all day, and of course wearing tuxedos at the televised events.
“It’s been really nice to be dressed up in suits: it’s not often you get that opportunity when you are at home to dress up,” he says.
Thomas, who works at Expert Electrical in Mullingar, says he has received great support and indulgence from his employer and he has also been touched by the messages of support coming to him from everyone he knows around home: “Even in the last couple of days alone, everyone’s been fantastic,” he says.