Wexford County Council is honoured to announce that County Wexford has been selected to host the Roses from the 2022 Rose of Tralee International Festival on the incredible Wexford Rose Tour this August.
Wexford to Host the Roses of Tralee
For the first time ever, County Wexford will host this tour organised by Visit Wexford, supported by Wexford County Council and kindly hosted by the Ashdown Park Hotel and the local tourism industry. The Wexford Rose Tour will showcase all that County Wexford has to offer; from old stone castles to fun sandcastles, to catching waves and catching up with friends and where 33 new Roses meet for the first time and enjoy adventures together, creating memories that last a lifetime.
The Wexford Rose Tour will take place across 3 days in August where Roses from across Ireland, the USA, Canada, Britain, Germany, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East will be treated to a jam-packed itinerary. The tour includes stops at some of Wexford’s most recognisable landmarks as well as some of our best-kept secrets and is welcomed by our very own Wexford Rose Joy Quigley, who hails from the medieval village of Ferns.
The tour will commence on Thursday 11 August with the Roses checking in at the 4-star Ashdown Park Hotel in Gorey, the official accommodation partner for the tour. They will then be welcomed at a Wexford County Council reception with Johnstown Castle providing the beautiful backdrop for the occasion.
Paul Finegan, General Manager of Ashdown Park Hotel, said: “As the official hospitality partners for the Wexford Rose Tour, we are honoured to host this year’s Roses who will travel from all over Ireland and across the world to stay with us in the Ashdown Park Hotel in Gorey. Wexford is a key hotspot for Irish staycations with its beaches, visitor attractions, and local food and drink producers. We are experiencing more demand for experiential breaks and we are excited that the Roses will stay and experience this with us.”
Whisked Around the County
During their time in sunny Wexford, the Roses will be whisked to a wide variety of locations right across the county such as meeting the resident seals at Seal Rescue Ireland in Courtown, catching some waves at Curracloe Ireland’s favourite beach and taking in the breathtaking views of the world’s oldest lighthouse along the Hook Peninsula. They will be treated to plenty of delicious meals including locally produced food and drink along the way and, of course, sampling Wexford’s famous fresh strawberries.
Steve Cronly, The Rose of Tralee International Festival Operations Director, said: “The Roses are looking forward to sampling the magnificent hospitality that awaits us in Wexford. Over two glorious days in August, the Roses from all over the world will enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour of key Wexford flagship locations. We thank Wexford County Council, Visit Wexford, the Ashdown Park Hotel and the many wonderful tourist attractions in Wexford for inviting the Roses to enjoy your county. We are grateful to the people of Wexford who have opened their county to welcome the Roses.”
The Roses Itinerary – Follow Their Footsteps
Elizabeth Hore, Director of Services & Economic Development at Wexford County Council, said: “County Wexford has enjoyed incredible success in tourism with the highest hotel occupancy in Ireland over the last two summers. We would like to build on this, especially with our international audience, and this Wexford County Council brand partnership with the Rose of Tralee International Festival offers a unique opportunity to showcase County Wexford in a fun and interactive way by creating the Wexford Rose Tour. I am delighted to say that Rose’s itinerary will be available as a downloadable guide on VisitWexford.ie so that people can follow in the footsteps – both heels and flats – of the 2022 Roses.”
The Rose of Tralee International Festival will run from Friday 19th to Tuesday 23rd August when the 2022 Rose of Tralee will be crowned at Munster Technological University live on RTÉ One. The Visit Wexford Rose Tour 2022 schedule, including photo and autograph opportunities for the public, will be released over the coming weeks.
For more, follow @VisitWexford on social media and see here.