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Roses to sign condolences book for bombing victims
by Evelyn Ring

ALL of the Roses in this year's Festival of Kerry will today join the huge number of people who have already signed the book of condolences for the victims of the Omagh bombing opened this week in Dublin's Mansion House.
The signing of the book by the 31 Roses, who arrived in Dublin last night from various parts of the world, is expected to be low key.
The expression of sympathy by the entrants with all those killed and injured in the weekend explosion follows yesterday's decision by the festival organisers to cancel the planned historic trip to Belfast which had been scheduled for today.
The Belfast visit had been arranged in February as part of the festival's 40th anniversary celebrations and in recognition of the developments towards peace in Northern Ireland.
The Roses were to have toured the city, visiting Stormont, the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum and Belfast City Hall for a reception with the Lord Mayor.
President of the Festival of Kerry, Seamus O'Halloran, who is from Belfast, said he was bitterly disappointed that they were not able to visit the city on this occasion. Mr O'Halloran said members of the committee felt it would be inappropriate for the event to take place in this time of sorrow.
An alternative schedule has been arranged for the Roses. They have been invited to visit the first of the tall ships to reach Dublin in the Cutty Sark Tall Ships race. It is an Italian-owned vessel called Orsa Mawgiore (the Great Bear).
Afterwards the Roses have been invited to a luncheon hosted by Guinness Ireland Group at St James Gate.
A Galway jewellers has come to the rescue after an entrant in the Rose of Tralee became a victim of crime.
Biochemistry student Luzveminda O'Sullivan received a £400 gold watch as part of her prize for winning the Galway Rose contest . . . but by the end of the night it was missing and has not turned up since.
However, Fallers Jewellers, sponsors of the stolen timepiece, have now replaced it with an even more valuable watch for her to wear in Tralee
Cashman's betting on the Rose Of Tralee: 8 San Francisco, 10 New York, 10 Galway, 10 Limerick, 10 Cork, 12 Leeds, 12 Melbourne, 12 Southern California, 12 Texas, 14 Waterford, 14 Dublin, 14 Kerry, 14 Ulster, 14 Washington, 16 Manchester, 16 Perth, 16 Queensland, 16 South Africa, 16 South Australia, 16 South Wales, 16 Sydney.

Courtesy of Irish Examiner