A proud Quigley’s Point man is about to have a summer to remember in Tralee after being selected as an Escort for the Rose of Tralee Festival.
Bernard McConway, 29, is one of 32 distinguished young men to make it through a rigorous selection process and boot camp for the festival in August, where he’ll be on hand to assist his assigned ‘Rose’.
Bernard is a Network Technician with ESB Networks. He also volunteers as a First Responder in his local area with Muff Community First Responders.
Becoming a Rose Escort wasn’t something he’d considered before, but Bernard, always up for a challenge, decided to put his hat in the ring when he saw the advertisement.
“It should be great fun, a brilliant experience and I think it will help me grow as a person,” he tells Donegal Daily.
The three day bootcamp in June was a “great experience” for Bernard, who was well suited to the exercise challenges and hike on the itinerary.
In 2023, Bernard raised €10,000 for three local charities after he successfully climbed 100 peaks on Inishowen. He also published a book containing a selection of photographs from his challenge.
Looking forward to August, he said, “I’ve made new friends during bootcamp so it will be nice to meet with them again and just to have the craic. It’s not often you get an opportunity like this so I just want to enjoy every minute of it.
“I would like to thank my sponsor RTM Services for this opportunity. Many people have supported me on my journey and I want to thank each and every one of them.”
Bernard joins Cloghan man Aaron Tourish, who was also selected as one of the 32 accomplished young men for the role.
