Westmeath Rose says she is ‘on cloud nine’ after Rose of Tralee win
Posted by Jim on August 20, 2026
Updated / Wednesday, 19 Aug 2026 14:13
Westmeath Rose Caoilfhinn Ní Choiligh has said she is still “on cloud nine” after being crowned the 2026 Rose of Tralee, describing herself as “so grateful and proud” to have had the experience.
The 25-year-old, who works in retail and is studying to become a wig maker, won over the audience and judges on Monday night when she opened up about living with alopecia.
Reflecting on the whirlwind of emotions since her win, Caoilfhinn told Morning Ireland on RTÉ Radio 1 on Wednesday: “I think I am on cloud nine a little bit floating through the emotions but I’m just so grateful and proud.”
But while becoming the Rose of Tralee may have been the culmination of the competition, Caoilfhinn said winning was never her main motivation for taking part.
“No. As much as that’s what this is all accumilating towards, I joined this whole experience to make friends. I honestly wanted to build my support network because that’s what gives me my strength, and being in my mid-twenties it can be so hard to do that.”
For Caoilfhinn, the appeal of the competition was the opportunity to meet other women and build lasting friendships. She said she had always admired the Roses and saw the experience as a chance to form a new support network.
“I was like, ‘Do you know what? The Rose of Tralee is something I’ve always admired. They are amazing women. Wouldn’t it be so cool to have 31 amazing new sisters and friends out of this experience?’ And that’s what I’ve really been enjoying out of it all.
“Obviously, this is a great plus too, but I’m absolutely delighted to be part of the 2026 class of Roses,” she added.
Opening up about removing her wig live on stage on Monday night, Caoilfhinn said being open about wearing a wig has always been important to her.
She explained that she has never felt the need to hide it and has often used everyday interactions as an opportunity to challenge people’s perceptions of wigs.
“It was something I was always very vocal about,” she said. “I never hid it and always told people I had it. If someone complimented my hair, I told them it was a wig, often to their surprise, because I wanted to show people that wigs are so much better than what they think and what they used to be, and how it’s okay to talk about it the way people talk about extensions, or they go to get their hair done.
“I wanted the same experience for people going through hair loss and for them to be able to talk about their wigs in that way and not feel like they had to hide.”
However, Caoilfhinn admitted that she had some reservations about how her experience with alopecia would be portrayed during the Rose of Tralee. She said she did not want her identity as a Rose to be overshadowed by her hair loss, while also recognising how much the experience had shaped her.
“So when it came to doing my piece, I was a bit apprehensive about being the Rose with the wigs. I didn’t want to be reduced down to that, but at the same time, I just wanted to own it because it is something that has really shaped who I am.”
She said that, more recently, she had come to recognise the power of embracing the things that make people different.
“I think it just got to a point recently where I kind of just realised that there’s such power in showcasing what makes us different, and we don’t really think about putting ourselves on a platform because we think we’ve nothing to say.
“But I honestly have been so surprised by how much I’ve impacted other people by just sharing the small little tips and tricks that I have when it comes to wearing a wig and embracing it.”
That realisation helped shape what she wanted to do on stage. Caoilfhinn said she wanted her appearance to offer encouragement to someone at the beginning of their own hair loss journey, and to show them that they could feel confident doing the same.
“So when it came to this experience, I was like, ‘Do you know what? Wouldn’t it be so cool to do something that, if I was younger, at the start of my hair loss journey, I would be like, ‘Oh my God, if she can do it, I can do it!’?”
Despite how open she has been about wearing a wig, Caoilfhinn said removing it in front of other people is something she rarely does.
“I don’t take my wig off day to day in front of people. I’ve only done it a handful of times. It’s only been in the last nine months my very close friends have only recently seen me without a wig on, so to do it on national television was definitely surreal.”
This year’s festival brought together 32 International Roses from communities across Ireland and around the world. Over five days, they enjoyed the hospitality of Tralee, along with street parades, music, and entertainment as part of the Féile Trá Lí celebrations.