At just 20 years of age, Katelyn Cummins became the first woman from Laois to win the International Rose of Tralee crown. Get to know her here;

When Katelyn Cummins took the stage in Tralee this past August, she not only had high hopes of winning for her home county but also of bringing a fresh perspective to what it means to be a modern Irish woman. At just 20, Cummins became the first Laois Rose to win the International Rose of Tralee crown and is determined to make the most of her reign.

In the weeks following her triumph, Cummins had her work cut out for her. “I’ve been going nearly every day since I left Tralee. It’s still a bit mad, really. I’m back at work as well. I come home in the evening and then do all the Rose of Tralee stuff. It keeps me busy, which I’m absolutely loving.”

The most striking thing about Cummins is her authenticity. While she may not precisely fit the mold that William Pembroke Mulchinock may have intended when he penned the 19th-century ballad that inspired the festival, Cummins is her own fierce brand of inspiration for 21st-century Irish women. Now an apprentice electrician with a company in Portlaoise, she also helps run her family’s dairy farm in Ballyouskill, Laois.

“Farming has always been part of my life,” she explains. “It gets very busy, and my sister Molly, my brother Jack, and I all take turns helping; from milking cows to moving cattle – we all pitch in.”

She approaches her trade with the same sense of grounding. During her school Transition Year placement, she realized how multi-faceted electrical work could be. “We went to a swimming pool, a warehouse, a house, and a cheese factory all in one week. No two jobs are ever the same because every place is built differently. I think that’s so interesting.”

Cummins dismisses doubts about whether a young woman belongs in a male-dominated trade. “It took me about four months to get an employer because of a lot of comments such as ‘a woman wouldn’t be able to do this type of work’ or ‘it’s too physically challenging.’ That was a real downer for me. But I knew I really wanted it, and I just kept persisting. The place I’m with now took me on, and on my very first day, they handed me the papers to register me. I’ve been there two years, and I’ve had nothing but support.”

This combination of perseverance and fresh perspective is what makes her a powerful role model. She also refuses to see her use of hearing aids as a limitation. “They are no different than glasses – that’s the way they should be viewed. I have excellent hearing with my hearing aids. I’m very well able to lip-read, and I’ve got amazing speech as well. We are the same as everybody else. In Tralee, I don’t think I could even count three people who said anything to me.”

She is just as open-minded when it comes to education and believes that Leaving Certificate results do not determine a young person’s future. “If your Leaving Cert doesn’t go well, you can still go on further. You could do an apprenticeship. You can choose many different types of courses and still find your way. It will not define who you are.”

For Cummins, who learns best by doing, her achievements support that there is no single road to success. “I wouldn’t have learned from reading or writing alone. I learn by working with my hands. And that’s OK, as there are many ways to learn.”

Perhaps the most inspiring part of her journey so far has been the connections she has made among the Roses themselves.

“It is a sisterhood. We bonded instantly. We all trust each other enough to tell our stories. Every girl is different, and that’s what makes the Rose of Tralee so special. We all learn from each other.”

As she looks ahead to her year as Rose, Cummins is determined to make the most of each opportunity. “I want to say yes to everything this year. You only get this once, and then you hold it for life, but you only get the one year to fully embrace being the Rose.”

‘Being the Rose’ may take on new meaning if Cummins has anything to do with it. She hopes to reframe what the festival represents beyond outdated stereotypes. “I suppose I’d like to change people’s outlook and help them realize that it is not just a beauty pageant. It is really a celebration of Irish women inspiring other talented women who are special and different.”

www.roseoftralee.ie
@katelynccummins