WE’RE SURE YOU’RE looking forward to the televised extravaganza that is the Rose of Tralee when it gets beamed into our homes from next Monday night.
But you may be slightly dismayed to learn that one of the most familiar elements of the contest won’t be making an appearance this year. Yes, the poetry readings have bitten the dust.
This may be something to do with the fact that 14 of last year’s 32 televised finalists read a few stanzas as their party piece. Poetry overload.
“We’re going to give it a rest for a couple of years,” festival spokesman John Drummey said today.
We’ll see how it works out. While poetry is art and an important part of all culture, we felt it was slowing down the flow of the show.
Drummey says the omission of the readings is a “conscious decision just to see how it goes”.
It’s been pioneered at all our regional selections so it’s not like it will be a surprise for any of the contestants.
Well it’s good to know that no aspiring Rose will be bringing out a photocopied sheet of verse on Monday only to be told by Daithí Ó Sé that rhymes are out the window this year.
“We’re looking forward to seeing how it works out,” says Drummey. He remains tight-lipped however about what manner of party pieces we will get to see.
“You’ll have to wait and see,” he says.
We’ve the selection contests (to whittle the 65 current contestants down to 32) tonight and tomorrow so we don’t know who’s going to be in.
But come Monday at 9pm all will be revealed.
“I guarantee people won’t be disappointed,” he adds. Fighting words if ever we heard them.
We’d be delighted if we got to see something along these lines to be honest:
Roll on Monday.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say