Last year we had a poem about a rash; a mad Maori dance; Iranian singing; and a double-jointed display, writes Róisín Inglein Tralee
Last night we were treated to Washington DC Rose Laura Olsen (21) warbling the alphabet backwards and speaking to her mother in her own made-up language called Op. Where else could you be but at the 48th Rose of Tralee?
Brilliant. Or "Broppolippiant", to give you the rough Op translation.
There is officially no longer any point in being snooty about the International Rose of Tralee festival. In terms of guilty pleasures, it is the Eurovision, Celebrity Jigs and Reelsand Charity You're A Starrolled into one. "Now I know my backward ABC's, next time won't you sing with me?" sang the lovely Laura to a feverish Rose audience, also revealing to an impressed Ray D'Arcy that she kept a "random goal journal" in which she colour-codes her achievements.
Everything from Bebo to footballers' wives made the conversation last night. Religion also featured strongly, with committed Catholic Dublin Rose Aoife Judge (21) neatly sidestepping D'Arcy's "big question" about the state of the church today, and Liverpool Rose Grace Kelly talking about her job teaching incarnational religion. Ya, what Ray?
This year's contest hasn't been all made-up languages, religion and backward sing-songs. Over a hot dog at the Rose barbecue yesterday afternoon, Perth Rose and police officer Orla Neff (26) let slip that a couple of the roses had been egged during the parade over the weekend. "If I'd have been on that float I'd have jumped into the crowd," she fumed, providing a glimpse of what it must be like to be on the wrong side of the stun gun she carries to work. "If you don't like the festival, don't come out to see it, I think it's very disrespectful."
On a happier note, you couldn't miss the happy Texans at this year's festival. Line dancing outfits? Check. Big black stetsons? Check. Badges decorated with their Rose's face? Check. Homemade name tags for parents? Hell, check. This year the name tags identify "Mom" and "Step Mom", "Dad" and "Step Dad". Meagan Foley's Mom and Dad are divorced but both came to Tralee with their new partners to support the Rose.
It was all fun and games yesterday for the Texas gang who won the table quiz at the barbecue - one of the questions was about, eek, Viagra. It turned out the Texas Rose has a bit of an advantage when it comes to game-playing. Her grandfather Chuck Foley who couldn't travel to the festival was the co-inventor of hundreds of games including Twister. Respect.
Meagan's Dad, also Chuck Foley, said his "great-great-grandfather" came from Cork to America in 1858. He confessed he got teary-eyed flying into Ireland and said they were trying to track down their last known ancestor here. "His name was Andrew N Foley, all we know is that he was from Cork," he said, asking Irish Timesreaders to help the family in their quest. He said the Texans are so visible at Tralee every year because of Texan pride. "We just think bigger," he said.
"We think our skies are bigger and our mountains are bigger when in reality they probably aren't. We Texans look out at the world through proud eyes. And we have a connection with the Irish that is growing deeper and stronger all the time."
But back to the main business of the evening. What was that thing on stage behind Ray last night? A shell? A fan?
A shell-shaped fan? For the 48th festival, the set got a drastic makeover with designers going all 1940s Hollywood on us. There were swooping arches over the stage and that shell/fan structure which glowed in a vast spectrum of colours depending on which Rose was getting a light grilling from your host Ray.
The rumour around the dome was that it will open tomorrow night to reveal all the contestants singing the Rose of Tralee backwards. We can only dream.