At the Munster Technological University campus in Tralee, Co Kerry, on Monday, last-minute poems were being committed to memory, dance routines practised and hair, make-up, and wardrobe under way for the Rose of Tralee contestants in advance of the evening’s TV show, which is expected to attract a peak audience of more than half a million viewers.
Monday’s broadcast will see 18 Roses join hosts Dáithí Ó Sé and Kathryn Thomas on stage over the course of the evening to tell their life stories and perform their hidden talents, before the second half and ultimate winner is crowned on Tuesday evening.
Westmeath Rose Caoilfhinn Ní Choiligh, who has alopecia and is studying to become a wig maker, said that when it comes to the beauty prep, she is “blessed in a way”.
“I think I have it quite lucky because I wear wigs, so I can have them styled days, weeks, even months, in advance if I want.”
“I think people always think of the negatives when they start to lose their hair,” said Ní Choiligh.
“I don’t think people realise you can curl a wig and have it styled for days or weeks – I have a wig that is still styled from May and I can just pop that on whenever I want. It’s one of the pros of wearing a wig. You don’t have to wash it as often [either], as it doesn’t get greasy. So I have a very easy hair care routine.”
Ní Choiligh, who set up a support group for those dealing with hair loss, has also decided not to wear fake tan for the televised show.
“I coincided this whole embracing my hair loss with my decision not to wear fake tan and loving my pale skin because they both work into the beauty standards that we have nowadays,” she said.
Ní Choiligh has been wearing wigs for eight years after she began to lose her hair aged 15.
“I gave up tan a little while ago. It just didn’t suit me and it was too much work,” she said.
“I can still go without the wig or without the fake tan and feel beautiful, because when you start to lose your hair you really start to lose that femininity and you grieve the person who you were and those beauty standards.”
Logistically too the fake tan application can be time consuming while the Roses are undertaking their tour before the live broadcast.
“I was meant to scrub off my tan and reapply it last night, but that didn’t happen because I was so tired,” London Rose Ciara Fallon said.
However, she is looking forward to the show. “Today we are just going over everything and practising. We are having our hair and make-up done this evening. I am not sure how long that will take but I am excited to see what they will do with me,” the A&E doctor said.
Nineteen-year-old Cork Rose Lexi Linnane will be first up for the show. “It is an absolute honour to open the 2026 international Rose of Tralee festival. It will be amazing,” Linnane said.
“I am taking it easy, relaxing a small bit. We just have to support each other. I’m on tonight and my roommate is on tomorrow night so we made a pact; she’ll support me tonight and I’ll support her tomorrow.”
The Rose of Tralee airs on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player, Monday and Tuesday from 8pm