Dublin Rose Tanya needs your support

DUBLIN’S entrant for this year’s Rose of Tralee is asking people from across the city to support her campaign.

Tanya Feighery, who was selected as the 2018 Dublin Rose earlier this month, is holding a fundraising event on August 11. 

It will take place in Darcy McGees, at the Spawell in Templeogue, not far from where the 26-year-old Feighery went to school – in St Paul’s Secondary School in Greenhills.

It was while at St Paul’s Tanya became interested in the Rose of Tralee competition.

However, it was the encouragement of family and friends who gave her the final push to enter the competition – in particular one friend, a former Abu Dhabi Rose, who she befriended when she lived abroad in Dubai for two years. 

Tanya, a secondary school teacher, returned from Dubai earlier this year and thought she would try hard and go for the real thing.

At the Dublin Rose selections she brought the house down with her laid-back and highly professional performance.

Tanya says she is over the moon to represent Dublin at the Rose of Tralee 2018. 

"When they called my name out at the Dublin finals, I thought at one point I was going to faint, either that or wake up as it felt like a dream come true,” she said.

“I am embarrassed to admit that I was afraid to go to sleep that night in case I woke up and it wasn't really happening.

“I kept checking the sash was hanging up in my wardrobe just to be sure and once I came back down to Earth after the initial shock I thought I was going to burst with the excitement."

It’s been a busy year for the Kilnamanagh native.

In addition to going for the Dublin Rose title, she is currently travelling in Peru, and will take up a new post at the Kingswood Community College in September. 

Alongside securing permanent employment this year, becoming the Dublin Rose 2018 was another goal she set out to achieve.

 "I am ecstatic to be heading down to the Rose of Tralee Festival in August,” she added.