The town hosts the regional finals of the Rose of Tralee ( festival ) in June and the Halloween Howls Comedy Festival on the October bank holiday weekend.

* Róisín Egenton, selected The Rose of Tralee in 2000.

Tralee is also famous for the Rose of Tralee International Festival which is held annually in August.

* Brenda Hyland, winner of the Rose of Tralee competition in 1983 ( although she represented County Waterford ).

Category: Hosts of the Rose of Tralee

The Rose of Tralee festival is an international competition which is celebrated among Irish communities all over the world.

The festival, held annually in the town of Tralee in County Kerry, takes its inspiration from a nineteenth century ballad of the same name about a woman called Mary, who because of her beauty was called The Rose of Tralee.

The idea for the Rose of Tralee festival came when a group of local business people met in Harty's bar in Tralee to come up with ideas to bring more tourists to the town during the horse racing meeting and to encourage ex-pats back to their native Tralee.

Led by Dan Nolan, then managing director of The Kerryman newspaper, they hit on the idea of the Rose of Tralee festival.

The founders of the organisation were: Billy Clifford-an accountant with the Rank Organisation who was one of the first recipients of the Golden Rose award ( which was inaugurated to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Festival of Kerry ); Dan Nolan, the owner of The Kerryman newspaper and involved with Tralee Races ; Jo Hussey, a shopkeeper in Tralee and Ted Healy.

The Rose of Tralee festival is now held annually at the end of August in Tralee, County Kerry, to choose a young woman to be crowned the Rose.

In contrast to beauty pageants, there is no swimwear section in the Rose of Tralee contest and the contestants are not judged on their appearances but rather their over-all personality and suitability to serve as ambassadors for the festival.

Regional finals are held in June in Portlaoise, where six Irish women are selected to take part in the International Rose of Tralee festival.

There are international Roses chosen from around the world who also participate in the Rose of Tralee festival.

The first presenter of The Rose of Tralee ( prior to it being televised ) was Kevin Hilton.

Will Scally produced and directed a Channel Four documentary called Rose of Tralee.

* " The House Is Haunted " w. Billy Rose m. Basil G. Adlam.

* " Wagon Wheels " w. Billy Hill m. Peter De Rose

" w. Billy Rose & Edward Eliscu m. Vincent Youmans

* " Honeysuckle Rose " w. Andy Razaf m. Thomas " Fats " Waller

* " I've Got A Feeling I'm Falling " w. Billy Rose m. Fats Waller & Harry Link

* " More Than You Know " w. Edward Eliscu & Billy Rose m. Vincent Youmans.

* " Without A Song " w. Edward Eliscu & Billy Rose m. Vincent Youmans

* " I'd Rather Be Blue Over You " w. Billy Rose m. Fred Fisher.

* " If You Want the Rainbow " w. Mort Dixon & Billy Rose m. Oscar Levant.

* " I'm Bringing A Red, Red Rose " w. Gus Kahn m. Walter Donaldson.

* " Fifty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong " w. Willie Raskin & Billy Rose m. Fred Fisher

" w. Billy Rose & Ballard MacDonald m. Joseph Meyer

* " A Cup of Coffee, a Sandwich and You " w. Billy Rose & Al Dubin m. Joseph Meyer

* " Don't Bring Lulu " w. Billy Rose & Lew Brown m. Ray Henderson

* " If I Had a Girl Like You " w. Billy Rose & Mort Dixon m. Ray Henderson

* " Only a Rose " w. Brian Hooker m. Rudolf Friml

* " The Night Is Young and You're So Beautiful " w. Billy Rose & Irving Kahal m. Dana Suesse

* " The One Rose ( That's Left In My Heart )" w. m.

* " Deep Purple " ( When The Deep Purple Falls ) w. Mitchell Parish m. Peter De Rose.

* " I Wanna Be Loved " w. Edward Heyman & Billy Rose m. John Green

* " It's Only a Paper Moon " w. E. Y. Harburg & Billy Rose m. Harold Arlen

" w. Billy Hill ( as George Brown ) m. Peter De Rose

* " I Found A Million Dollar Baby ( In A Five And Ten Cent Store )" w. Billy Rose & Mort Dixon m. Harry Warren

* " Were You Sincere " w. Jack Meskill m. Vincent Rose

* " Cheerful Little Earful " w. Ira Gershwin & Billy Rose m. Harry Warren