Rose leontia blooms where shes planted
This weekend the Cavan Rose will represent the Breffni County in the regional finals of the Rose of Tralee in Portlaoise. Linda O’Reilly caught up with Leontia Sheridan ahead of her big weekend...
I am by no means perfect but I’m always myself and I’m the same with everyone I meet.” So said Cavan Rose Leontia Sheridan who’s due to head to Portlaoise today (Thursday) to represent the county in the regional finals. The 26-year-old school teacher has no grand plan to impress the Rose judges over the Bank Holiday weekend other than to just be herself.
Steve Cronly, the commercial manager of the Rose of Tralee International Festival, had just that piece of advice for Leontia after she won the title in Cavan.
“Steve said the reason you’re here is because you were yourself and stay like that - that’s the advice he gave me for Portlaoise,” she said.
‘Overwhelmed’
Speaking ahead of the regionals, the Redhills Rose said it has been “all go” since she was crowned the Cavan Rose in the Hotel Kilmore on April 25 and, even now, she’s still having difficulty taking it all in.
“I had in my head one definite girl and two girls a close second and, after my name was called out, I’d say a good 40 minutes is a blur for me. I was just so overwhelmed,” she recalls.
Since then she’s had a hen party in Galway, a number of requests from businesses and community groups to attend events and functions, a busy schedule as a substitute teacher and has been helping out at home.
Leontia lives at home with her dad Peter and mum Ann. She is the eldest of three siblings - her sister Shauna (23) is a physiotherapist in London and her brother Conor (19) has autism and also lives at home.
“I’m the mammy at the moment because mam and dad are in Spain, Shauna’s in England and myself and Conor are at home so, between school and everything, it’s all go at the moment,” she says.
Speaking to the Celt on her lunchbreak at Cortober National School on Friday, Leontia is looking forward to representing Cavan in Portlaoise.
Huge support
A group of 25-30 supporters are expected to travel with Leontia, and she will take to the stage with Dáithí Ó Sé on the Saturday night. Among her retinue are her parents, her sister Shauna, granny Sally, friends, family, six of the Roses from the Cavan selection night and the 2014 Rose Laura Galligan.
Any mention of Laura and Leontia insists, “I have big shoes to fill”. She is already very thankful to the Drung girl.
“She’s been a great support. We met up in the Kilmore, she went through things with me, just to give me an idea of what to expect and has been at the end of a phone since,” says Leontia.
So when she’s not teaching, what does Leontia get up to? “I’m very family orientated. I enjoy shopping, socialising, interior design, things like that and I’m very involved then in teaching with special needs students,” she says.
Family first
Leontia’s always quick to bring the conversation back to home and family and fondly mentions her grandparents.
“My grandad has Parkinsons and I’m very close to him and I lived with them for a while. He’s Paddy Reilly from Carrickmore, Ballyhaise, and my granny Sally.
“I’m the eldest grandchild and I can’t probably stress enough how I have such a great bond with them, they’ve always been so good to me and when mam was working when I was younger, that was my childhood - out working with grandad on the farm,” recalls Leontia.
So very much from a farming background then?
“My dad would wish I had more interest. Dad is financial controller in Lakeland Dairies but he’s a hobby farmer, that’s what I call him - an expensive hobby,” she laughs.
Leontia also mentions the family link to Redhills GAA where her father Peter is involved with the development committee, and also as an umpire.
With such a close bond with her family, Leontia is delighted to live at home and travel from there to work in whatever school she finds herself posted.
“I’m very involved with Conor a lot. I like to give mam a break and all that, that’s the reason why I live at home and why I travel to school,” she explains.
Follow your dreams
Ever the teacher and with exams looming, Leontia encourages students to follow their dreams and not to be too disheartened if they don’t get the points that they want. Her own journey into national teaching wasn’t a straightforward one.
“I did my primary degree in Irish and Geography in NUI Maynooth. Then I spent two years teaching in Loreto as an Irish and Geography teacher. I covered a sick leave and then I was their main sub. It was always my dream and passion to become a primary teacher but I didn’t get the points. But everything happens for a reason.”
Leontia then undertook the Higher Diploma in Primary Education with Hibernia College for two years and I graduated in 2013. “I’ve been subbing in all the schools in Cavan and parts of Monaghan since,” she outlines.
Although covering in Cortober for a day, Leontia says that she’s spent most of her time in St Felim’s Boys National School in Cavan Town. “I was in St Felim’s covering maternity leave and then a sick leave and I just love that school,” she says adding “Barry Tierney [principal] has been a great support to me.”
Special thanks
She’s also keen to thank her sponsors Valu+ Pharmacy and Eden Beauty Salon, Drumalee, who were her sponsors for the Cavan Rose. She has since secured further sponsorship for the regionals including an evening dress from Pam Treacy, High Style; a day dress from Purple Orange boutique; two headpieces from Eileen Brady, hat milliner in Tullyvin and two pairs of shoes from Jimmy Fox.
“The biggest one that so overwhelmed with me was the Carnival Committee in Redhills have sponsored me €500,” adds Leontia, who has already been asked to officially open the Carnival weekend on August 7.
So in demand already then? The Celt wonders what is the oddest request Leontia has had since been crowned Cavan Rose.
“The oddest thing I’ve found is the friend requests on Facebook. I’m getting friend requests off people I don’t know - more of the male variety.
“I don’t add somebody that I’ve no connection or mutual friend with,” she tells us, adding that other Roses have had similar experiences.
It’s been a month of many firsts for Leontia - the hen party she went on the morning after she won the Cavan Rose selection was her first hen ever. It was for a work colleague from Loreto, Áine Smith, and the girls headed to Galway for two nights - making it three nights on the trot for Leontia.
“It was my first hen and I enjoyed it but I felt I was taking the limelight... obviously I like compliments but this is a whole new thing to me,” she said.
So is there a ‘someone special’ in Leontia’s life?
“No, I’m a single pringle,” she declares - loud and proud.
But there are plenty of special people who are backing Leontia all the way to Portlaoise.
“Shauna [sister] is coming home from London - mum and dad, granny Sally, uncle Patrick would love to be going but somebody has to stay with grandad. I call him ‘gaga’, I always have done. They are all so proud of me,” she gushes.
Let’s hope the judges in Portlaoise go ‘gaga’ for Leontia and the Breffni County will have a Rose of its own in Tralee in August.
The road to Tralee
The Rose of Tralee Regional final will be staged in Portlaoise from May 28-31. Host Dáithí Ó Sé will interview the 56 Roses over three nights.
Leontia has essentially three chances to be picked by the judges. A spokesperson for the festival explained: “There are four Irish regions with seven counties in each. There’s a possibility of at least two Ulster Roses being picked, as well as a wild card as the Ulster Roses feature in two regional groups.
This year, seven Irish Roses will be picked – four plus three wild cards - two roses will be picked from the British Group, two from the Canadian Group, eight from the USA, three from the Rest of the World and one International Wild Card.”
Those 23 Roses will go forward to the Rose of Tralee International Festival where they will be joined in August by Roses from Kerry, Cork, Dublin, Sydney, New Zealand, Darwin, Perth, Queensland and South Australia.
This year’s Rose of Tralee International Festival will take place from August 14-18.