Beverly Woman Advances To International 'Rose of Tralee' Finals

Caption: Maeve McSweeney, Chicago’s 2015 Rose | Chicago Rose of Tralee

There will be a Beverly rose in bloom at the Rose of Tralee International Festival in County Kerry, Ireland, in August.

Beverly-native Maeve McSweeney advanced to the finals and will be representing Chicago for the crowning of the Rose of Tralee, which brings young woman of Irish descent from around the world to County Kerry for the global celebration of Irish culture.

McSweeney was crowned the 2015 Chicago Rose of Tralee in March based on a personal, one-on-one interview with the judges and an on-stage presentation that included her singing an Irish song “The Parting Glass.”

She went on to compete against 60 other regional Roses over Memorial Day weekend in Portlaoise, Ireland, where judges selected just under 30 women to advance to the final stage of the competition.

To enter the competition, women must be between the ages 18-27 and of Irish descent.

Finalists also had to secure a sponsor to cover their participation fee. McSweeney was sponsored by Fado Irish Pub, 100 W Grand Ave., Chicago.

McSweeney will travel again to Ireland for the crowning of the Rose of Tralee representing Chicago’s Irish American community at the international festival that takes place from Aug. 14 to Aug. 18 in the town of Tralee.

This isn’t the first time McSweeney has showcased her Irish heritage. In 2014, she was named queen of the South Side Irish Parade.

McSweeney is a recent graduate of Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI, where she also volunteered at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. Her mother’s family hails from County Louth, according to WDJT in Milwaukee.

The final competition is personality-driven and includes a live television appearance. The tradition is based on the song of the Irish ballad of the same name with judges looking for the rose with “truth in her eyes.

The crowning of the Rose of Tralee is the centerpiece of the five-day street carnival that also includes live music and concerts, singing, family and children’s entertainment, a circus, fashion show, market and fireworks.