D ith S & 65 Roses celebrate the RT Rose of Tralee Launch The official countdown to the 2016 Rose of Tralee International Festival began today when D ith S caught up with the 65 hopeful Roses for the Rose of Tralee launch photocall in RT .
With just 24 hours until the extended festival gets underway D ith and the 2016 Roses took time out from their hectic schedules to attend the launch before they hit the road for Tralee.
The festival celebrates 57 years this year and the selections will be broadcast live from the festival dome in Kerry at 8pm on Monday 22 and Tuesday 23 August on RT One with a break for the Nine O'Clock News. D ith , who returns to our screens for the seventh year running, will interview the 32 hopefuls across the two nights. The Rose of Tralee can also be watched live and on demand by audiences in Ireland and around the world on RT Player (desktop, iOS and android apps) and RT Player International.
2016 sees some changes to the festival. For the first time ever all 65 Roses who made it through the regional finals will travel to the festival dome in Tralee for the qualifying selections presented by D ith on Wednesday 17 and Thursday 18 August (These qualifying selections will not be televised). The 32 successful Roses will be announced on Sunday 21 August and will go on to appear in the televised selections on Monday 22 and Tuesday 23 August all hoping to be crowned the 2016 Rose of Tralee.
The 32 Roses will represent centres in Ireland, Britain, United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, mainland Europe and the Middle East.
This year RT will also broadcast a brand-new preview show Road to the Dome. Presented by Sinead Kennedy the programme will follow the 65 Roses from their arrival in Dublin all the way to the Dome. From the glamour of the Rose Ball, to the drama of the qualifier nights, Sinead will have unlimited access to life on the Rose tour. The Road to the Dome will be broadcast at 6.30pm on Monday 22 August on RT One.
RT will have an expanded presence in the town this year, with activities and competitions in the Festival Family Zone in the Town Park, as well as at the town square, and by the Festival Dome. RT Raidi na Gaeltachta's An Saol Dheas will broadcast live from the Rose Hotel on Tuesday August 23, while RT Radio 1's Countrywide will feature reports from the festival.
RT Player will host a very special collection of exclusive online clips and extras featuring the top moments from 2015, a look back at the Rose of Tralee International Festival through the years, as well as an adorable interview with D ith hosted by this year's Rosebuds. And for all the inside news from D ith and the Roses, pick up next week's RT Guide.
Fancy getting to know the Roses before the live television shows? Later this week www.rte.ie/entertainment will go live with a dedicated online Rose of Tralee section on its homepage which will include profiles and video introductions by all 65 of this year s Roses. The Rose of Tralee section will also have all the latest news on the festival and Roses in the run up to next week s live shows and next Monday and Tuesday evening you can follow events on the page with our live-blog and on RT 's entertainment Facebook and Twitter pages.
Photo galleries of this year's 65 hopeful Rose contestants are now available to view on www.facebook.com/rteone. You will also find exclusive behind the scenes content on www.twitter.com/rteone, www.instagram.com/rteone and rteonesnaps, as well as on @rte, @rteplayer and @rtearchives on Twitter. The official hashtag is #roseoftralee.
-Ends-
Date: Tuesday 16 August 2016
Contact: Melanie O'Connor, RT TV Press and Publicity Officer, 01-208 2787, 086-401 6053, melanie.o'connor@rte.ie
Notes to editor:
This year's extended Rose of Tralee Festival will run for seven days from 17-23 August and will see some changes to the qualifying events. In previous years the regional finals were hosted in Portlaoise at the end of May at which point 32 Roses were selected to go on and represent their county/city/state/country in the televised event in Tralee in August.
In 2016 this format will change and will see all 65 Roses travel to the festival dome in Tralee in August for the qualifying selections presented by D ith S on Wednesday 17 and Thursday 18 August. (These qualifying selections will not be televised). The 32 successful Roses will be announced on Sunday 21 August and will go on to appear on the televised selections on Monday 22 and Tuesday 23 August.
Rose of Tralee Presenter History
D ith O S 2010 - 2016 (7 years to date)
Ray D' Arcy 2005 2009 (5 years)
Ryan Tubridy 2003 and 2004 (2 years)
Marty Whelan 1997 2002 (6 years)
Derek Davis 1995 and 1996 (2 years)
Kathleen Watkins 1977 (1 year)
Gay Byrne 1974 1994 (20 years)
Kevin Hilton, Joe Lynch, Terry Wogan, Brendan O Reilly, Michael Twomey were early presenters. Although there had been highlights prior to that, Joe Lynch presented the first live broadcast by RT in 1967.
International audiences
The international festival will be streamed live over the two nights. Here's how to watch the Rose of Tralee live and on-demand worldwide with RT Player.
iOS viewers worldwide: Get the Player International App http://apple.co/1f6UnMt
Android viewers: Get the App on Google Play
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=air.RTE.OSMF.Minimal&hl=en
Desktop viewers www.rte.ie/player/ie/
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
06/05/2026
Polands Miecznik-class frigates are part of the largest contract in Polish shipbuilding history. (Image Credit: PGZ Stocznia Wojenna)...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Riedel Communications today announced the expansion of its leadership structure as part of a strategic initiative to strengthen both its operational management ...
06/05/2026
For nearly three decades, Veteran Production Sound Mixer and Five-time Emmy Award Winner Dirk Sciarrotta has helped define the sonic identity of the long-runnin...
06/05/2026
ZEISS CinCraft LensCore: Cinema Lens Looks for Compositing
Brie Clayton May 6, 2026
0 Comments
ZEISS announces the launch of CinCraft LensCore, a nove...
06/05/2026
Wisycom Solves Extreme RF Challenges Across Miles of Live Action for Gravity Med...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Narrative Entertainment has partnered with Encompass to deliver high-quality subtitling of its Great! network content using the Altitude Intelligence AI assiste...
06/05/2026
SipRadius, widely recognized for making content processing and connectivity secure and seamless, is proud to launch a dramatic new approach to AI content creati...
06/05/2026
When the broadband and media industry gathers at ANGA COM in Cologne from May 19 to 21, Big Blue Marble will be at the forefront. The international broadcast an...
06/05/2026
Cinegy GmbH, a leading developer of software-defined television technology, is proud to exhibit at MPTS for the first time. Visitors to the stand will discover ...
06/05/2026
Val Jeanty Receives 2026 Doris Duke Artist Award Jeanty, a composer, percussionist, and turntablist, is the fourth Berklee recipient of the prestigious award ...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
When live cycling races and international marathons stretch for miles across cities and countryside, there is no margin for RF failure in live broadcast. As Chi...
06/05/2026
Oberkochen/Germany, May 5, 2026
ZEISS announces the launch of CinCraft LensCore, a novel solution for creating physically based cinematic lens looks for visual...
06/05/2026
Wuppertal May 6, 2026
Riedel Expands Leadership Structure, Appoints Marc Engro...
06/05/2026
SAN JOSE, Calif. - May 6, 2026 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced its latest broadband innovations for ANGA COM 2026, highlighting its vision for a new e...
06/05/2026
Statement from Rupert Murdoch, Chairman Emeritus, Fox Corporation on Ted Turner&...
06/05/2026
Friday 8 May on RT One and RT Player
Meet the NSPCA team caring for and protecting animals in need in this six-part series
Fly on the wall, six-part series...
06/05/2026
The race to build the world's most powerful AI factories demands networking ...
06/05/2026
How changes to proteins can alter drug interactions for new precision therapies Scripps Research team maps how chemical modifications to proteins affect drug bi...
05/05/2026
Experts from the world of academia, tech, business, politics and media convened for a Thomson Talks at the Cambridge Disinformation Summit in April. It's th...
05/05/2026
Three phones were hardwired for power and transmission to the truck; camera feat...
05/05/2026
The creative studio behind campaigns for the NBA, Fanatics Sportsbook & Casino, ...
05/05/2026
Nielsen has announced results from a co-viewing pilot program covering February&...
05/05/2026
viztrick AiDi, an on-device AI solution developed by Nippon TV, delivered global...
05/05/2026
ARRI has announced Omnibar, a battery-powered, IP65-rated multi-color LED linear...
05/05/2026
Imagine Communications has announced that France T l visions is the first broadc...
05/05/2026
The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and Bell Media today announced a multiyear agreement to broadcast and stream WNBA games in Canada beginni...
05/05/2026
SVG is proud to announce Warner Bros. Discovery's Techwood Studios in Atlant...
05/05/2026
With no operator required, AutoMic workflow automates talent identification on U...
05/05/2026
A crash in 2015 set the industry back, but this winter proved that drones are he...
05/05/2026
Another year, and more proof that Asia continues to shape some of the world's most exciting new sounds. This year's RADAR artists draw from deep local r...
05/05/2026
The Austin City Limits Music Fest 2026 lineup just dropped, and this year, Spoti...
05/05/2026
New drum machine book campaign incoming
Bjooks have announced that during Superbooth 2026, they will be launching a Kickstarter campaign to fund the product...
05/05/2026
Flagship all-in-one production bundle updated
The latest version of Native Instruments' flagship virtual instrument and plug-in bundle has just been ann...
05/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz to host RF Testing Innovations Forum 2026, helping design engine...
05/05/2026
L3Harris provides communications, electronic warfare, sensors and mission systems that enable Virginia-class submarine crews to operate with confidence in conte...
05/05/2026
The company grew by 7.6% in net revenue and 16.3% in EBITDA, achieving a 33% inc...
05/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
05/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
D ith S & 65 Roses celebrate the RT Rose of Tralee Launch The official countdown to the 2016 Rose of Tralee International Festival began today when D ith S caught up with the 65 hopeful Roses for the Rose of Tralee launch photocall in RT .
