Melbourne Rose Katie Casey is one of a number of contestants in this year’s Rose of Tralee with farming roots.
Katie (28) grew up on a dairy farm in Causeway, Co. Kerry, and worked on a dairy farm in New Zealand in 2018 for three months.
“My dad, Michael Casey and brother, John, milk about 120 cows, and my brother recently won a grassland award from Teagasc,” said a proud Katie who has four older brothers – two sets of twins. “It was a busy household,” she laughed.
“We all had our jobs. When I was very young, mine was putting out the straw bedding for the calves,” she said.
“When I was a bit older, it was feeding the calves. I was never really let drive the tractors – my brothers tended to want to do that.”
All that hands-on experience came in handy while working on the New Zealand farm.
“The man who owned it was from Roscommon and my brothers had worked there previously,” Katie said.
“I always wanted to travel so I worked there on the South Island for three months. Then I got a job as a nurse just outside Christchurch.”
Working on the farm there was great experience, the Causeway native said.
“I went on my own and was picked up at the airport. It was a much bigger farm that ours at home. It had two rotary milking parlours, one on either side of the road. The scale was massive. My main role was feeding the calves,” she said.
Melbourne Rose
After her stint in New Zealand, Katie moved to Melbourne and continued her nursing career.
“I needed to get 88 days for my working holiday visa so I got that on a racehorse farm in Victoria,” she said.
“I love Melbourne. It’s a great city. There is always something to do. It’s a real sporting capital and it’s more down to earth than other cities.
“I’m a country girl at heart and love the fact that you can drive just a little bit outside the city and be in the countryside,” said Katie.
It’s a long way from home but she finds similarities between St. Kilda, where she lives, and her homeplace.
“St. Kilda is on the sea and our farm at home is on the mouth of the River Shannon. It looks over to Loop Head in Clare. It’s really scenic – beautiful in summer, but blustery in winter,” she laughed.
Although Katie’s heart is in Kerry, she hasn’t any plans to return home at present. “I’m in the process of getting permanent residency but no-one knows what will happen in the future,” she said.
Katie has realised a dream by being selected as a Rose. “I have lovely memories of going to the festival at a young age,” she said.
“My mother used to bring us to the parade to see the roses. They were like princesses to me when I was young.
“I always thought of applying – it was just about every girl’s dream and it still doesn’t feel real that I have been selected as the Melbourne Rose. I feel really lucky to have been selected,” she said.
After all the glamour of the festival, there will be plenty of opportunities to don her wellies and help out on the farm.
“There is always something to do on a family farm and helping out is a great way of spending time with the family. I love it,” this year’s Melbourne Rose said.
The Rose of Tralee will be broadcast live on RTÉ One tomorrow (Monday, August 21) and Tuesday (August 22).