Two young men from Fermanagh are set to take up the honour of acting as Rose Escorts at this year’s upcoming Rose of Tralee International Festival in Tralee, Co. Kerry, one of Ireland’s largest and longest running festivals.

The major event will take place from August 14 to 18, and Paul McDonagh, from Tempo, and Andrew Toye, from Aghadrumsee, are among 32 young men who have made the grade. Nearly 200 men aged between 21 and 30 applied to become Escorts at this year’s International Festival, and following a detailed interview process, the final 32 were selected to take part in a Boot Camp weekend in Kenmare to help them prepare for a busy week in Tralee.

Among them were Paul, 25, and 22-year-old Andrew, who according to Paul mentioned that they got to know each other through their participation.

Paul, a veterinary officer at DARD, who also runs an agricultural business Leam Agri, was an escort on the recent Fermanagh Rose selection night.

He says he wanted to do something different this year and then this opportunity came about. Regarding it as a lifetime opportunity, he says it is “not to be missed.” He expects “it will be fairly challenging and also great crack.” His travels to Kerry will also entail quite a bit of packing, including tuxedos and suits as there will be day and evening events.

Paul says he has never been to the Rose of Tralee but he has heard great reports about it. “Anyone who has been before highly recommend it,” he said. He acknowledges his sponsors, Virogen Ltd (wind energy), Campbells Contracts and Leam Agri.

Fellow Fermanagh man, Andrew Toye, who has also been chosen as a Rose Escort, will be one of the youngest Escorts there.

The young man, who works in Topman and this year became involved in the Monaghan Rose event, like Paul has never been to the Rose of Tralee, but would be familiar with the Festival.

Having successfully gone through the selection process, he is looking forward to being one of the 32 Escorts, who are due to be in Tralee from August 12 to 20.

A former student of St. Eugene’s College, Rosslea, he went to St. Mary’s University College, Belfast, where he did a Liberal Arts course. He is taking a gap year and will be going back to do a Masters in Events Management.

And as he prepares to go to Tralee, he thinks it is great to be able to be part of something so big. “It is amazing to be part of such a big event,” says Andrew, who took the opportunity to thank his sponsors, The Jolly Sandwich and Mallen’s Barbers. A busy young man, this week Andrew was speaking to a number of groups at the Fermanagh Michaela Summer Camp on his faith journey as an individual, and he is also a committee member of Clogher don Óige.