24 -year- old wedding organiser Clídna Bailey-Doyle has been selected as the 2024 Rose of Yorkshire.
Clídna was selected by the judges from the ten finalists at the recent selection night which took place at Leeds Irish Centre.
Special guests on the night were Sarah Mangan, Console General of Ireland for the North of England together with Anthony O’Gara CEO of the Rose of Tralee International Festival and his wife Oonagh O’Gara.
Clídna will now represent Yorkshire at the Rose of Tralee International Festival in August.
Clídna, who has family in the Gorey and Clogh areas of Wexford, told The Irish World: “I think I was in disbelief (when I heard my name announced).
“I think 100 things ran through my mind at that point.
“It was just absolutely surreal.
“It was beautiful.
“The Rose of Tralee is something that’s been a big part of kind of growing up.
“I often go over to Wexford.
“That’s where all my family live so we go over there two, three times a year and often in August time as well so we would be there all together watching the Rose of Tralee in the living room at my grandparents’ house.
“It was always a really nice memory of us all being there together: Just talking about how lovely it is and how fantastic all the women were and just all those lovely, lovely things that came with the Rose of Tralee.
“It was this year where I thought, ‘You know what? I want to surprise my family. I just want to go for the Yorkshire Rose. I just want to have the experience, meet some fantastic women’.
“And I really, really didn’t expect much from it.
“It was a total shock.”
Clídna had the support of her mother on the night and they were not long letting the proud family back home in Ireland know that she is Tralee- bound.
“They’re just over the moon.
“It’s a momentous thing for a family.
“We’re a big family and we’re a really close knit family.
“They’re all so excited firstly for us to be back over in Ireland, that’s obviously most important to them, and that we’re all going to be together for a little bit.
“I know it’s going to be a busy schedule for me but just seeing them in the crowd is going to mean the world to me.”
Clídna was born in Manchester and has lived in Cheshire for years.
As a child she did Irish dancing as well as the tin whistle.
While her cousins in Ireland introduced her to GAA, it was another sport that she excelled as she grew up.
“I love sports. I actually went down the more swimming route.
“I used to do synchronised swimming for about 13 years and that was my sport.
“It was a lot of commitment. I was doing about 14 hours a week on top of school.
“It was very full on but I just loved it.”
With Stockport Metro Synchronised Swimming Club, Clídna competed in national championships.
However she wouldn’t have time for this anymore when university became her focus studying events management.
She now organises weddings which she is passionate about having previously organised sporting fundraisers.
“It is really rewarding.
“I used to run fundraising events for athletes, so I would run golf days and gala dinners and things like that.
“Then COVID hit and I wanted to do something even more interactive by being a wedding co-ordinator which meant I was meeting people and being a part of the biggest day of their lives.
“Every single wedding is different in their own way.
“It’s a fantastic job.
“At times it can be hard and long hours but the rewarding part of it and the beautiful places that you get to work override that.”
Asked what she is looking forward to about Tralee Clídna says: “The whole thing.
“I think the whole thing is just going to be something that I’m going to remember forever and something that I can tell children and grandchildren about.
“I never, ever, ever thought it was something I was going to be able to do and I just am absolutely thrilled that I’m doing it.
“I’m going to be there and I’m going to be meeting all the women from all around the world, and it’s just going to be an amazing two weeks. I’m so excited.
“I can’t wait for it to come round. It’s just like an anxious wait now to get over there and just experience it all.”
