New Rose of Tralee Rachel Duffy: ‘I hope I'm a role model for young girls’

The Westmeath Rose’s mother Cathy died when Rachel was nine years old, and the now 23-year-old said she felt her mother was “looking down” on her from heaven last night.

“I was so shocked, I felt like my name was the last name that I was expecting to hear,” she said. 

“All the girls ran in to grab me and I told them not to let me go. I was shaking. I’ve never felt that way before in my life.

“I was terrified, but good terrified.”

Rachel said she previously struggled to talk about her mother’s death, but in the last few years realised opening up has helped her grief.

“I definitely think growing up, maybe it’s an Irish thing, I struggled to talk about my mam and I probably didn’t talk to her as much as I should have,” she said.

“It’s only in the last few years that I’ve learned to open up and talk about her.

“The more I do talk about my mam the closer to her I feel, and the more you talk about these things the easier grief is.

“I think as someone who grew up in a single-parent home without my mam, I felt like I was lacking that strong female role model in my life... there was an awful lot of pressure growing up, so if I could just be a role model for young girls that’s all I can ask for.

“I hope I can do the role justice, and if anything, I want to show young girls that it’s not about what you might have or don’t have. It’s about how you act as a person and how you treat other people – and your life experiences, good or bad, they make you a better person.”

Ms Duffy, who is from the village of Rosemount, Co Westmeath, works in P Egan’s pub in Moate, but was hoping to return to college in September and become a Spanish and ­English teacher.

However, she said this ambition might have to be put on hold as she will now represent the Rose of Tralee across the globe, with a travel prize valued at €25,000.

“I’m going to have to have a sit down with my family and decide what’s best, as (becoming a teacher) has always been my goal and dream but the Rose of Tralee is a dream too,” she said.

“I never thought this was going to happen, so these are all things I have to consider, and I will take my time making a decision on that.”

He father, Eamon Duffy, said: “I am proud and it’s beyond belief, the whole thing is beyond belief. Rachel is a brilliant girl, she’s the youngest of the family and she is always full of surprises. She’s really pulled it out of the bag now.

“She has been great. She has had ups and downs along the way. Her mother passed away when she was nine and she is really carrying the mantle now – she is carrying it for Westmeath, she’s carrying it for the parish, and now for Tralee. We lost a lot, but we have gained a bond.”