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The All-Ireland hurling final took place last Sunday and the two great rivals of Tipperary and Kilkenny came up against each other once again. And in this encounter the Premier men rose victorious. There has been a huge amount written across all media about the rivalry between the two counties which extends to supporters, players and the managers.
Playing GAA – either football or hurling – at county level requires a level of dedication that from an outsider’s perspective, might seem insane to do on an amateur basis.
The long-term spoils may not seem immediately obvious except for those that demonstrate unparalleled abilities for an extended period of time and are able to lever that to benefit them into the future.
But every year more players come through the ranks as the benefits are personal to each and every person no matter what level of achievement is attained. And this personal development extends to other competitions also. That brings me to the other great Irish competition; The Rose of Tralee.
It is this week that the oft disparagingly referred to ‘Lovely Girls Competition’ is taking place in the Kingdom
Although I would like to see the normal order of things restored, with the Championship finals played after the Rose Festival, it is this week that the oft disparagingly referred to ‘Lovely Girls Competition’ is taking place in the Kingdom. Having personally never participated in any competition such as the Rose of Tralee or any of Macra’s competitions, I will admit that I never really fully understood the draw to it.
This week in Irish Country Living, we feature two women who have participated and are keen to explain not only why but what the less obvious benefits are.
Anne O’Donoghue met with the 2019 Kilkenny Rose Clodagh Cassin at home on her family farm just outside Kilkenny city. An avid hockey player and agricultural science graduate on her way to a career in ag science teaching, she pushes back against the idea of the competition being outdated or a pageant as they are portrayed on American TV shows. For Clodagh, winning would be a nice plus on top of a positive experience that will serve her into the future.
Last year, on the eve of the Ploughing day that was cancelled, as the storm raged outside, I had the pleasure of meeting Angela Ryan who is this week’s featured Woman & Agriculture Conference attendee.
Over the course of the evening, we debated the merits of the various Macra competitions that she had entered over the years.
The fact that she sees the Women & Agriculture Conference as an extension of that into her adult life was also a positive endorsement for the event
This interview made it possible for me to commit to paper the many benefits that she gained from competing with education, networking and pushing your own boundaries coming across as strong reasons for anyone to put themselves forward.
The fact that she sees the Women & Agriculture Conference as an extension of that into her adult life was also a positive endorsement for the event.
Tickets are on sale for this year’s event which takes place in the Radisson Blu Hotel, Rosses Point, Co Sligo, on 24 October online here or by contacting the office on 01 419 9525 or 01 419 9505. Speaking of Ploughing (and if the sporting or Rose type competitions are not your bag), fear not, we may have the competition for you. If you can hold a note and want the opportunity to get in front of a real audience with Mike Denver, enter our Irish Country Living Ploughing for Stars competition – the details of which can be found here.
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