63336 celebrity answers with Charmaine Kenny
Our latest celebrity interview is with someone who became the first UK contestant ever to win Ireland’s coveted Rose of Tralee title.
The Rose of Tralee Festival is held every August in Kerry, Ireland. It’s based on the love song Rose of Tralee, which describes the heartbreaking tale of William Mulchinock, a 19th Century wealthy merchant, and his love for Mary O’Connor, a maid. Last year it was won by The London Rose, Charmaine Kenny, and she has just handed over her crown to Clare Kambamettu, who is another London Rose; this has never happened before, so well done London.
We took a few minutes to ask our Rose some thorny questions.
Got a question you want answered? We'll answer your first for free.
Q. Who is Charmaine Kenny?
A. An aspiring entrepreneur who has stumbled upon the adventure of her life through becoming the Rose of Tralee.
Q. What is the meaning of life?
A. I’m not a very philosophical person but I do believe that life is for living.
Q. What is the best bargain you ever bought?
A. A PADI scuba diving course in Thailand that gobbled up my travel budget but during which I met my boyfriend Seán.
Q. When you became the London Rose, beating 35 other contenders, did you ever dream the title of Rose of Tralee might be within your grasp?
A. 100% No! I was too busy a) hoping that I’d represent well those 35 London contenders, b) figuring out how I could get more involved in the Irish scene in London and give the title the honour it deserves and c) dreaming of the twenty outfits that had to be bought for Tralee. So many girls had entered across the world and in my mind the prize had already been won – I was going to Tralee, which no matter the outcome, would probably be the best ten days of my life.
Q. How does winning the Rose of Tralee compare to scaling the heights of Mount Kilimanjaro?
A. Being honoured with the title of Rose of Tralee was a feeling of absolute shock and I was genuinely rendered speechless. The Tralee festival was 10 days of elation. I was also breathless summiting Kili but that was because of the altitude!
Q. When you woke up the morning after winning the Rose of Tralee, were you still wearing your winner's sash?
A. Almost! Because of late partying and early media interviews I had only one hour’s sleep. The temptation to moan of tiredness that morning had to be fought off when the very first Rose of Tralee and judge, Alice O’Sullivan, told me that she had partied through the night without retiring to bed and had already gone for a 3km walk around Tralee. That’s when I realised the depth of the journey that I was about to embark upon; there are 50 sets of tough steps to follow.
Q. You said your ambition is to be an entrepreneur. Is that something you still plan to pursue?
A. Most definitely. The only thing that the Rose of Tralee title changes is the timeframe of my business venture.
Q. Would you consider taking part in the London Marathon?
A. I never say never but for the moment I am happy to stick with the shorter races – 10milers and half–marathons. It is almost two months since I participated in the Dublin marathon and I have not yet hit the road. I don’t even know where my runners are!
Q. What were your experiences of volunteering in India like?
A. The time I spent volunteering in India was a very humbling experience and one which I will always carry with me. It taught me to believe that change is possible and to believe that we can all make a difference.