Westmeath's Rachel Duffy crowned 2022 Rose of Tralee

The Westmeath Rose, Rachel Duffy, has been crowned the 2022 Rose of Tralee, making her the first winner from the Lake county.

Duffy was confirmed as this year's winner following Tuesday night's final, and was presented with her sash by 2019 winner Dr Sinead Flanagan.

The annual festival suffered two years of cancellation due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

This year marked the 61st Rose of Tralee International Festival, featuring 33 Roses from around Ireland and the world.

Duffy, from Rosemount, graduated from NUI Galway last year having studied Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies and Spanish, and plans to return to complete a Master's Degree in order to become a Spanish and English teacher.

The event, hosted by Dáithí Ó Sé, saw Duffy crowned in the Kerry Sports Academy at MTU, with viewers tuning in from around the world, including Turkey, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia.

"I’m pinching myself now wondering if it just happened," Duffy said after her win.

"I’m so grateful for this honour; it was such an honour to represent my community and my county and now to be the Rose of Tralee is just unbelievable.

"I never anticipated ending up here, I’m looking forward to the memories I’m going to make. If the last two weeks are anything to go on I know I’m going to make memories to last a lifetime," she added.

As the 2022 winner, Duffy will receive a range of Tipperary Crystal and an exclusively designed trophy, a KIA Niro plug-in hybrid EV, hairstyling by Sean Taaffe Hair & Beauty for the year, complimentary accommodation at the Meadowlands Hotel throughout the year, a week-long adventure break from Kerry County Council, and a world travel prize valued at €25,000.