Nicola set to bloom in Rose of Tralee

New Galway Rose, Nicola Corcoran only entered the competition on the insistence of her best friend, who was also a contestant.

But beating her friend hasn’t cost her a friendship as both women entered for a good cause – to raise awareness for their respective charities.

Twenty four years old Nicola from Ballyloughane, is a special autism teacher in the new primary school in Doughiska and she represented the Galway Autism Partnership.

“It’s a charity I admire very much because of the work I do and my best friend, Aoife Mullin (from Castlegar) represented Multiple Sclerosis. She suggested I enter, too . . . that there was time,” she said.

Not only was there time but Nicola won the Galway Rose title from a line-up of 29 young women who took part in the event at the Clayton Hotel at the weekend.

The sash was handed over by last year’s Galway Rose, Kate Kennedy, who unfortunately didn’t make it to the final selection during the Rose of Tralee festival.

June 1 is the next big date for Nicola when the regional selection takes place in Portlaoise.

Meanwhile, Nicola will be attending a range of events, most of them for charity, in and around Galway as the newly crowned Galway Rose.

She hopes to raise awareness for autism and the local partnership charity which was set up by parents to do the same as well as provide a range of support services.

Nicola got a host of prizes when she won including Newbridge silverware jewellery, designer outfits, hair and make-up styling offers.

“Aoife didn’t mind that I won and our friendship is still intact,” she added.

For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.