Outgoing Rose of Tralee Beth Keely with 2012 Rose of Tralee Elizabeth Spellman.
A 27-year-old social worker from Havertown was crowned the 2012 Philadelphia Rose of Tralee at a gala on Sunday, April 1, at the Radnor Hotel in St. Davids.
Elizabeth Spellman, who works at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, is a graduate of Merion Mercy Academy and The Catholic University of America. She joined a volunteer program called Amigos de Jesus, based in Malvern, PA, and after graduation spent two years teaching English and acting as social worker at an orphanage for boys in Honduras, where she learned Spanish. She traces her Irish roots to Mayo and Sligo.
Spellman will compete this summer at the International Rose of Tralee Festival in Tralee, County Kerry. The “Rose” is a popular competition, drawing young Irish women from around the world. It’s televised in Ireland. The Philadelphia Rose Centre celebrated its 10th birthday this year. Founded by Sarah and Karen Conaghan (Race), the center this year gave its Mary O’Connor Spirit Award, named for the original Rose of Tralee, to the center’s original Rose, Noreen Donahue-McAleer.
McAleer, who teaches third grade in the Abington School district, began Irish dancing at the age of three and competed worldwide, including at the Irish Dance World Competition in Galway when she was 17. She opened the Cummins School of Dance in 2001 when she earned her Irish dance degree (teagascoir Choimisiuin le Rinci Gaelacha, or TCRG).
The Glenside resident is married to Peter McAleer and they have one son, Pearse. Her nieces, Abigail Donohue and Saorla Meeagh were “Rosebuds” this year—the youngest group of girls that take part in the pageant.
The outgoing Rose, Beth Keely, gave a tearful farewell speech in which she recalled all the events of her year, including helping to grant the wish of a terminally ill teen in Ireland—to spend a day with the Rose of Tralee contestants.
CBS3 consumer reporter, Jim Donovan, reprised his emcee duties this year. Donovan, who appears at many local Irish events, greeted the crowd with his usual, “Hello, Irish people!”
We were there and took many, many pictures so you could pretend you were there too.
