Lab aide Gráinne ‘proud’ to be crowned 2026 Cavan Rose
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Grainne Burns is the 2026 Cavan Rose of Tralee. The Cavan town girl was announced the winner on Sunday night and will represent County Cavan in Tralee later this year. Photos: Lorraine Teevan LORRAINE TEEVAN 0877564735Image 2 of 3
The contestants in the Cavan Rose of Tralee at the Hotel Kilmore on Sunday night pictured with their Rosebuds/Rosebuddies. From left: Grainne Burns and Karla Curran; Ava Campbell and Molly Mae Gregory; Chloe Martin and Kiya Collins; Klara Carolan and Sam McCullagh; Caoimhe Smith and Eabha Fay; Grainne O’Reilly and Niamh O’Reilly; Andrea Murphy and Ciara Lynch; Hollie Lynch Walsh and Rebecca Skelly; Eadaoin McDermott and Jodi Fay; Ellie Daly and Willow O’Connell; Allanah Brady and Cormac Dyas; Caoimhe Cusack and Aoibheann Smith; Emma Morris and Katie McIntyre; Elle Denning and Erin Drumm; Leah Rudden and Fiadh Harrisson. See page 63 for more photos. LORRAINE TEEVAN 0877564735Image 3 of 3
RIGHT: Cavan Rose 2026 Grainne Burns pictured with her family and partner & Rosebud on Sunday night. From left Paul Sexton (partner); Bobby Burns, John Burns, Grainne Burns, Sinead Burns, Karla Curran (Rosebud) Emmett Burns and Shannon Burns. LORRAINE TEEVAN 0877564735Grainne Burns from Cavan Town has been chosen as this year’s Cavan Rose to represent the county in the 2026 Rose of Tralee international festival.
The 28-year-old medical lab aide was picked from 15 Cavan Rose hopefuls on the selection night, which took place last Sunday, April 19 in the Hotel Kilmore.
Speaking to the Celt following the night, Grainne says she is “still speechless” and feels “so proud” to represent her family and county as the next Cavan Rose.
“Seeing all their faces when my name was called out was amazing,” she says of her family and friends.
“I feel so proud to be able to represent my family and county and everyone there in Tralee in August, it’s going to be so exciting.”
On the night, Grainne was the second last Rose hopeful to present on stage.
“I did feel a little bit of nerves beforehand but it was lovely on stage,” she affirms, praising MC Ollie Turner, Fine Gael Councillor for Tuam and Head of Sport with Galway Bay FM.
“He’s so great, he makes you feel so comfortable and just lets you shine.”
Grainne had previously intended to apply for Cavan Rose in 2020 but couldn’t because of Covid, and in 2022, she was in Vancouver, where she lived for two years.
In 2024, Grainne went down to Tralee for the festival and had a great time there, and when the opportunity to enter rolled around this year, she decided to go for it.
“This is probably my last chance to be able to do something like this,” she explains as the Rose age limit is 29.
“I just thought, after being down and seeing it all, I may as well go for it.”
Gráinne’s parents are John and Sinéad Burns. She has an older sister, Shannon and two younger brothers, Emmet and Bobby.
Grainne attended primary school in Gaelscoil Bhréifne; she has a “cúpla focal”, and secondary school in Loreto College. After completing her Leaving Cert, she went to GMIT (now Atlantic Technological University/ATU) to study Applied Biology and Biopharmaceutical Science.
The course was her second choice; she had wanted to become a medical scientist, and now “all these years later”, Grainne is making a return to education to complete a Higher Diploma in Medical Science to fulfil her dream.
In her spare time, she loves to crochet; a pastime she shares with her mam.
The pair have recently started participating in local markets, including the Cootehill Christmas market and the Summer Cottage Market in Cavan.
“Everybody keeps telling me, I need to crochet on stage but we’d be there forever,” she jokes.
With all eyes on Tralee in August, Grainne is looking forward to her Cavan Rose duties in the coming months.
“Seeing all the attention [in 2024], I keep thinking of the parades and the lead up to it,” she enthuses.
“It makes it feel very exciting altogether.”
“I’d say it’ll be a whirlwind, the next few months,” she adds.
Grainne, who is sponsored by Klass Cleaners, is so grateful for all of the support she has been receiving.
“It means so much,” she says of being named Cavan Rose.
“I wouldn’t be able to do it without the support.”