The Roses are coming home.

Welcome home party this Saturday evening – don’t miss it !!

Athy girl Charmaine Kenny represented London in the Rose of Tralee festival and carried off the title. As the Rose of Tralee, she will represent London and Ireland on the international stage for the next year. But first, she is coming home to Athy along with the Kildare Rose Erica Kelly who also came from Athy. They can expect a huge welcome on the evening of Saturday 19^th September 2009 from the town where everyone is thrilled with their success.

From about 19.15, the town square will be lit up and closed off to traffic for the occasion and Damien Cadiff’s band will play live music until the parade arrives. And, as the festive atmosphere grows in the square, at 19.45 a grand parade will set off from the Tegral car park close to the canal to come down through the main street of Athy. It is planned to arrive in Emily Square around 20.15 for an informal but enthusiastic reception.

Led by the Churchtown Pipe band, floats that have come all the way from the Rose of Tralee Festival itself will carry Charmaine and Erica, flanked by 16 rosebuds carefully picked from local schools and a guard of honour provided by 12 fine young men from Athy.

When they arrive in Emily Square, they will be welcomed by another famous Athy local - Clem Ryan – best known perhaps for his current affairs programme on KFM. He will be Master of Ceremonies for the evening. Even if there is a large crowd, everyone will be able to see and hear as there will be a big screen to broadcast proceedings as they happen.

Formalities are to be kept to a minimum and apart from a presentation from Brian Ashmore, President of the Kildare Show to the Roses on behalf of the town, no speeches are to be expected. But it would be great to see a little dancing when DJ Garry Sheehan takes over and gets going with the beat.

So bring the children, the granny and your dancing shoes and join with us in this opportunity to say we are proud of our own girls. No harm to dress up either so that we fit in well with the exquisitely tuxedoed escorts and the accompanying rosebuds who will add lustre to an already beautiful occasion.

Athy may be small, but it surely has style.