Roses promote sales opportunity

JOHN Walsh of Rathfarnham in Dublin was beside himself. "Six miles of rosary beads," he noted with pleasure "that's 690,000 actual beads - all those Hail Marys."

He was anticipating his sales on the American QVC shopping channel next Sunday.

Based in Philadelphia, it broadcasts to 55 million homes, and on September 1st will devote a special to Irish merchandise. Its sales target is $7 million.

Yesterday a crew from the channel was filming Roses from Boston, Chicago, Washington, South Carolina, Belgium and Galway, as they wore Irish in Tralee's Rose Garden.

The Festival of Kerry in Tralee, which reached its climax last night with the selection of the 1996 Rose of Tralee, has presented a perfect sales opportunity for QVC.

Neck is what Ronan O'Byrne (25) has, and loads of it. He is escorting the Leeds Rose this year. Last year it was the Chicago Rose. An accountancy student in Dublin, he refused to say what he had that made him suitable for his much envied task.

Similarly with Daragh O'Neill (24), escort to the Washington Rose. His second time, too. There were 12 "repeat" escorts this year, and all are just there to support the girls.

"We see them [Roses] to the end of the stairs at night and then the craic starts."

The girls safely in bed, the boys play. They don't have to be available until 7.30 p.m. most evenings. Accommodation is covered, but food and drink is their own responsibility. But the hangovers are free, and frequent. It's not easy being an escort. But someone has to do it.