Am writing this during the commercial break. My heart’s pounding. In a few minutes, Daithí said, we’ll find out who will be crowned the 2012 Rose of Tralee.

What an evening it’s been. The Coronas won’t calm me down at this stage. Thought Gerald Fleming was being sarcastic earlier when he predicted that “low pressure was coming.” It’s anything but here.

My heart went out to the Australian rose. There she was performing her telepathy card trick. Daithi outsourced to the Inspector of Ceremonies to pick a card. Didn’t work first as he blurted it out while waving his baton. He finally chose the 6 of diamonds. Rosie twirled around, took out the deck of cards, shuffled happily, beamed and asked “was it was the 9 of diamonds?” Silence. Daithi couldn’t go back now. “It wasn’t,” he said very apologetically. Quick as lightning she said “were you thinking of it upside down?” “I was yeah,” he said.

She left the stage promptly.

Of course the competition would be nothing without the close-ups of the mothers crying. Mother of Perth had to dab her eyes while her daughter sang and mother Cork got out the tissues while her daughter recited a poem.
Most original talent went to the rose who could imitate a dolphin.

Lovely girls. Image source: http://www.roseoftralee.ie

Best anecdote goes either to the story of the Australian Rose’s boyfriend mistaking “Fir” for “female” and “Mná” for “men” or the nannie who objected to photographs of Debs dates in the toilet of her granddaughter’s suitor. But Prince Philip’s quip to the Dublin Rose (studying Nanotechnology) that she must have “very good eyesight” will go down in national memory too.

Daithi’s top question of the evening had to be: ” You fell through a garage, did you?” to which he got the reply “I’m sorry?” Maybe next year he should try, “you stumbled on a geranium, did you?” More Rose-like.

Nice to see festival branching out with Daithi parading around in red heels. It’s becoming terribly progressive with all these educated women included in the competition.

But I digress. The Coronas have stopped. And there they are now. All the Roses in a row. The audience is going wild, chanting. Who on earth will it be, Daithi’s asking.

Oh damn it, they’ve invited the Rose of Tralee CEO on stage now. Waffle. Come on now. He just said judges are “exceptional people.” Let’s get this done. What name is inside this envelope? “Will it be the scientist or the gymnast?” Daithi asked just a few minutes ago.

Here’s the envelope now. You could hear a pin drop.

Nicola McEvoy Image source: http://roseoftralee.ie/roses/international-roses-2012/international-roses-2011/international-rose-250

And now….. drum roll..

It’s the Luxembourg rose! And she can’t believe it!

Her parents jump to their feet, whooping. The pride is oozing out. Their daughter the rose of Tralee.

The police band play the tune. They all sing along. Flanked by the other roses, Nicola gets her crown. Ends with a nice flashback of her reaction about thirty seconds before. What a lovely girl.