2011 Philadelphia Rose of Tralee Beth Keeley with CBS3 reporter and host for the Rose event, Jim Donovan.
By Beth Keeley
2011 Philadelphia Rose of Tralee
I grew up in a typical Irish-American household. I knew my family came from Ireland and I took pride in being Irish, but I didn’t have much more information beyond that. I didn’t know what counties my family came from or even which generation it was that came over. My Irish pride spanned the likes of taking Irish step dancing classes, eating ham and cabbage for dinner on St. Patrick’s Day and crying whenever “Danny Boy” played on the radio. My family, like many Irish-American families, is more culturally Irish by choice, rather than having a history passed down.
In the past few years, though, I’ve started to take a more serious interest in my Irish roots. I recently hired a genealogist to trace my father’s families – the Keeleys and the McKeevers. It turns out that they are from County Donegal and County Mayo. More shockingly, I discovered that I am fourth generation. For not knowing a thing about my family tree to learning that I am fourth generation was a pretty big and exciting shock.
Since then I have started to seek out ways to become more in touch with my Irish heritage. I entered the Rose of Tralee contest on a last minute whim. A week before the contest I decided to give it a try just to see what would happen. I wanted to become more involved with the Irish community and the Philadelphia Rose of Tralee Centre focuses heavily on charity work, which was a huge draw for me.
The Philadelphia Rose of Tralee selection night was a big success. There was live music, great food and – most importantly – the friendliest and most welcoming people I have come across in a long time. All of the Rose contestants embraced and encouraged each other. We all joked and danced together and had the best intentions for each other while each girl stood in front of the audience to answer questions. The Rose motto, “camaraderie, not competition” proved to ring very true.
The families and friends of other Rose contestants were just as welcoming. Even though the night started out as a room full of strangers to me, I quickly felt at home. People I had never met before were wishing me well and I could tell that they genuinely meant it. I felt the true Irish welcoming spirit.
As the end of the night neared, the Rose contestants knew a winner would soon be announced. As much as we all wanted it for ourselves, we all wanted it just as much for one another. When I was named the winner at midnight, I just stood there frozen. I didn’t believe it. I was handed flowers, a sash and a crown, but it still didn’t seem real. So I did the only thing I could do, the one thing the Irish do when they are happy: I cried.
Once the reality of winning settled in, I decided that the charity I would fundraise for would be the non-profit organization PAWS, The Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society, the only no-kill animal shelter in Philadelphia. A few months prior to entering the Rose, I adopted a cat from PAWS. I never was much of a cat person before, but Ronan has become a part of my family. The Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society treats their shelter animals properly and has proven to be a shelter that deserves additional recognition and support.
Although my trip to Ireland for the Rose of Tralee Regionals is fast approaching (the first week of June!), I have already begun to organize fundraising events for PAWS. On July 24 from 2-6pm at the Willows Mansion in Radnor, the Rose Centre will be hosting a “Dog Days of Summer” BBQ family social. Adoptable pets will be present and all proceeds from the event will go to PAWS.
The Rose of Tralee started out as a last minute decision, but has quickly exploded into a valuable and rewarding aspect of my life. I am honored to be the 2011 Philadelphia Rose of Tralee. The never-ending opportunities for charity work and socializing are irreplaceable experiences. Beyond that, though, the Rose of Tralee has brought me closer to my own Irish heritage, which is something that I could never be thankful enough for.
Editor’s note: The Philadelphia Rose of Tralee Centre will also be participating in the Susan B. Komen Race for the Cure to raise money for breast cancer research. The race is held in Philadelphia on Mother’s Day, Sunday May 8. To donate to the Rose team, visit the donation page online.
