Thousands of women entered from all over the world, but only one could be crowned the Rose of Tralee.
Out of 32 finalists, 21 year-old, Waterford Rose, Kirsten Mate Maher came out victorious on Tuesday evening.
Speaking of her win, Kirsten said, “I am stunned. It is hard to describe how I feel this morning but I am bursting with pride.
“To my Rose sisters all I can say is I love each and every one of you. You truly are a fantastic bunch of women.
“We have all gotten to know each other so well, each and everyone of you has inspired me in some sort of way.
“I am incredibly proud to represent the Class of 2018.”
Ahead of her win, we caught up with Kirsten, to get to know her a little better.
You are starting college this year?
I will begin studying Multimedia and application development this year in college. I picked this course as it touches off almost all aspects of computing and multimedia. I am very creative and artistic and have a keen interest in web development and graphic design.
Could you survive a social-media detox?
I certainly am fond of social media but I definitely could survive a social media detox as I love to read! At the moment I am reading a novel written by a local Waterford writer Derek Flynn called “The Dead Girls” I would highly recommend it.
Tell us about your involvement with the Island of Ireland peace choir?
I am in the choir 3 years now. I met the choir co ordinator Phil while singing in my school choir, he asked me to give it a try so I did. I’ve sang in the most fantastic places such as The Aviva Stadium, Stormont and the Garden of Remembrance.
What has the best part of this experience been so far?
My 21st birthday party which I also used as an opportunity to fundraise for Pieta House, my chosen charity for this year as the Waterford Rose of Tralee. We raised over €1000 and counting on the night and I have never been so proud!
We can’t wait to see what she gets up to next!