Escort Alan set for Rose of Tralee

Westmeath Rose Leanne Quinn won’t be the only local representative at this year’s Rose of Tralee festival thanks to Alan Maguire of Rathowen.

Recently qualified teacher Alan came through a rigorous selection process to become one of this year’s 57 escorts at the perennially popular Kerry festival, which is now in its 59th year.

Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner this week, Alan (30) revealed that being chosen as an escort has an added significance for him.

“My mother passed away two years ago and we always used to watch it together.

“She always said that I’d be a good escort but I always laughed if off. This is my last year to be able to apply (you have to be under 31 on September 1) and I saw an ad for it so I said that I’d apply to see how I got on.

“I sent the application in and a couple of weeks later got an email inviting me to the Glen Royal Hotel in Kildare [for the selection process].

“You are talking about 200 or 300 lads that are all of a similar ilk. Everyone, of course, has different personalities, but they are looking for everyone to be a gentleman.”

Alan obviously impressed the selection committee in the Glen Royal with his gentlemanly ways in his individual and group interviews because a couple of weeks later he got a phone call informing him that he had been chosen as one of the escorts for this year’s festival, which starts on August 17.

Thanks to a boot camp down in Kerry on the June bank holiday weekend, Alan has already got to know his fellow escorts. The boot camp a memorable experience that he took a lot out of, he says.

“They put us through our paces. We had to climb Mount Brandon, and that was a great bonding session.

“The best part for me was the first night. We went camping and had to cook our own food. They also took our mobile phones off us for the whole weekend. It really opened my eyes and now I rarely bring my phone with me on a night out.”

Each escort has to pay a participation fee of €1,500 and Alan says that he has been “very well looked after” by his sponsors Lake County Landscapes, Maguire Hair and Beauty Supplies, Stonefacings Limited and Manning and Buckley Electrical.

When it comes to sorting out his clothes for the festival Wilfs in Mullingar and Longford’s Spirit Clothing have been a big help, he says.

The two Roses are paired with Alan – each escort is paired with two roses, one for the first half of the festival and the other for the second half – will have their work cut out to match him on the dance floor as he has been taking classes to improve his jiving.

“I’ve come on leaps and bounds. I’ve surprised myself at how light I am on my feet.”

With all of his preparations for the festival done, Alan says that he is looking forward to what is sure to be an action-packed four days.

“I’m excited, very much so. I am heading down on the 15th and I’m looking forward to going down and having the craic and doing my job right.”