Di S & 65 Roses celebrate the RT Rose of Tralee Launch

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/

LINK:	http://www.rte.ie/about/en/press-office/press-releases/2016/0816/80965...
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