The Rose of Tralee can mean many things to many people.
Depending on who you ask, it’s a proud symbol of Irish society and culture. Or it’s an outdated, glorified “lovely girls” competition.
Maybe it’s just a bit of harmless craic to pass the time on the TV once a year. Or perhaps you have a genuine connection that inspired you to devote time, energy and a lot of money to the festival and its birthplace.
For an enterprising American hotelier seeking to keep a beloved spirit alive, investment in the Rose of Tralee made both professional and personal sense. Such was the case for US businessman Dick Henggeler, who significantly invested in Kerry and the Rose of Tralee traditions following the death of his daughter Dorothy, who participated as the Washington Rose in the 2011 festival.
Henggeler’s involvement would ultimately lead to a heated quarrel over control that has only now come to an end following his sad passing.
On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Fionnán Sheahan is joined by Irish Independent legal affairs editor Shane Phelan to look at a bittersweet dispute made in Kerry.