Caoilfhinn ‘so strong, so articulate’ says her Rose Escort, Michael-Anthony

“I’m so proud of her, she’s the most incredible human being. She’s so strong, so articulate, she’s so deserving of this, she’s been an absolute joy to escort all week, we’ve had the best time together. What you see is what you get with her.”

Those are the words of Michael-Anthony Greene, Caoilfhinn Ní Choiligh’s Rose Escort. Michael wasn’t able to make the homecoming reception on Friday evening because he is a musical theatre performer and he was working, but he was delighted with the whole experience of the Rose weekend.

Michael, who is from Cloghroe in Cork, spoke to the Westmeath Examiner last week when he was still in Tralee and still in an emotional state from the highs of the weekend.

He was over the moon that his Rose had won, and he wanted to explain some of whey he applied to be a Rose Escort: “My father (Brian) passed away suddenly last year and my mother (Mary), around that same time, was diagnosed with breast cancer,” he said.

“We grew up watching the Rose, it was really important in our household, and I saw my mam watching last year’s festival, and the smile on her face.

“We had this joke growing up that I would make a great Escort, and I’m 31 this year, it was my last year being eligible to go for it, and I said if I don’t do it now… so I set myself a challenge to do something that pushes me out of my comfort zone once a year.

“I suppose after losing my dad and with everything with my mam, my confidence took a bit of a knock, and it was hard to put myself back out there.” Given the challenge he had set himself and his desire to get back to an even keel, Michael went through the Rose Escort process and was selected.

“I got to meet 31 other lads who were all incredible and all so supportive to me. I’m probably the emotional one of the group and I think it was very pleasing that myself and Caoilfhinn got matched together, because she described herself as the emotional one of her group, so we were a nice fit for each other.”

Michael said it was a surreal moment when Caoilfhinn was announced as winner: “On the Monday night when she stepped out on stage, I was so proud of her. I have three sisters (Heather, Hazel and Melissa), they mean the world to me, and Caoilfhinn is like a new sister to me. Watching her up on that stage as they were about to announce the winner, something in me just went ‘I think she has this’, and the second that envelope went over, I went to myself ‘Michael, you need to make sure you’re sitting up straight!’.” (Because the TV cameras would seek him out in the crowd.)

Michael, along with Caoilfhin’s partner Artur and her father Milo, were first out of their seats.

Like others involved as Roses or Escorts, Michael paid tribute to the festival organising team, and acknowledged the huge work that goes in behind the scenes.

“I’m not used to TV and cameras – that can be a bit daunting – but the week felt so easy with her (Caoilfhinn) down there, and I feel I can put myself out there now, I can have those conversations.

“A year ago, if you’d asked me if I would be standing up and waving on television, I’d have said, absolutely not, there’s no way you’d get me to do that, but last night [last Tuesday], it just felt so natural.

“The festival supported us so well from start to finish, made sure we were eating correctly, checked in on us – I have to say, they did an excellent job with us.”