The contest is in its 60th year.
The Rose of Tralee has been a longstanding pageant on Irish TV. Women from all across the country, and the world, make their way to Co Kerry to take part every August.
The contest will kick off again next week, and with Dáithí Ó Sé taking to the stage for his tenth year – and he insists that it will never become outdated.
When asked if the show has passed its sell-by date, Dáithí said: “Is there anything more empowering than going up on stage in front of 2,000 people in the Dome and in front of the whole nation to tell your story, warts and all?
“People take these shots all the time and those questions have to be answered.
“The Rose of Tralee, to me, is a celebration of Ireland and a celebration of Irish women, so when is that out of date?
“The answer is never.”
He went on to say that in this day and age, when social media is such a big part of young people’s lives, it’s great to see the women in the competition come together and support each other.
“In the age of social media, where people are comparing how many likes they have, being pitted against each other all the time, the sisterhood of the Rose of Tralee isn’t BS.”
