Derry Rose Darcy Taylor
Darcy Taylor from Bellaghy, Co Derry, has been the bookies favourite to win the coveted competition.
Darcy currently works at BBC Radio Foyle in Derry.
She has a BA in Drama from Ulster University in Derry, as well as a Masters in Media and Broadcast Production at Queen’s University Belfast.
Representing Melbourne in the pageant is Dervla Dolan, who is originally from Killyclogher in Co Tyrone.
The 25-year-old is a teacher specialising in history, and is also using the Rose of Tralee platform to highlight her campaign for stricter drink-driving sentences.
Dervla’s 18-year-old brother Enda was killed by a drink driver on her 16th birthday.
Ahead of Monday’s Rose of Tralee opening selection night in Kerry, Dervla told the Irish Examiner: “I would say to anybody getting behind the wheel, and particularly to young drivers as well, that they need to remember that a vehicle is a weapon.
“They need to remember all the consequences that come with reckless driving.
“My family and I are currently working really hard to change the law to increase the sentencing for drink drivers. We feel like there needs to be more of a deterrent.
“There are still so many deaths occurring and deaths that can be prevented.”
Dervla emigrated to Australia in 2022. She is from a family that is very involved in running and has completed 13 half marathons and one full marathon.
When she moved to Melbourne, she established a running community called Run for Enda.
David Lee Stewart was originally sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison and the same amount of time on licence, but this was increased on appeal to four-and-a-half years behind bars and the same period on licence.
Dervla further hopes that winning the Rose of Tralee could help her expand the Enda Dolan Foundation and Run for Enda to even more parts of the globe.
The Rose of Tralee International Festival is an event which is celebrated among Irish communities all over the world.
The festival bills itself as a celebration of the “aspirations, ambitions, intellect, social responsibility and Irish heritage” of modern young women.
The winner of the Rose of Tralee 2024 will be crowned on Tuesday night, August 20.
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