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Twenty four year old Sarah McKegney has been chosen as the 2013 Down entry for the iconic Rose of Tralee competition and will now go forward to represent the 20 other girls and her County in the Rose of Tralee International Festival Regional Finals in Portlaoise from Thursday 30th May - Sunday 2nd June to bid for her place at the Rose of Tralee International Festival Finals in Tralee in August.
Last Sunday as the clock stuck midnight the Down Rose 2013 was announced in the fairytale setting of The Slieve Donard Resort and Spa, Newcastle. After an entertaining and enjoyable evening with 21 hopefuls taking to the stage wishing to become the ambassador for County Down, the judging panel selected Sarah McKegney from outside Carryduff as the 2013 Down Rose. Sarah is a chartered accountant for Price Waterhouse Cooper and is very involved in charity work in her local community. A member of Bredagh GAC, the 24 year old has recently taken up Gaelic Football and has ambitions to travel the world and to start her own business in the future.
The evening saw 21 accomplished young women from across County Down represent their families and communities on stage with Cool FM's Connor Phillips keeping the show flowing at a great pace. Some of the girls performed talents on the evening ranging from the World Kickboxing Champion showing her stuff, a brush dance, a haunting rendition of an Irish ballad by local lass Ciara McCrickard to more contemporary songs - some of the young ladies also evoked emotion with some moving poetry.
In what was a glamorous evening, there was a fundraising raffle for The Southern Area Hospice, The Down Rose's chosen charity for the year. The charity raised near £600 towards their great work. A representative from Tralee who attended the selection commented on the professional nature of the event and that it showcased how much County Down had to offer.
Down Rose Coordinators, Gareth McGreevy and Gemma Murphy commented, "The support for the girls was tremendous on the evening and we would like to thank all the sponsors of the event, especially our main sponsor, The Slieve Donard Resort and Spa, whose luxury surroundings added even more class to the event."
