Mayo's Nicole is favourite for Rose of Tralee

THERE is a new favourite to be crowned this year’s Rose of Tralee after a burst of local support for Mayo Rose Nicole Loughlin to wear the winner’s sash at this year’s festival.

The 22-year-old from Shrule has been involved in a fundraising campaign which has seen her build a primary school built in Malawi and says she grew up watching the Rose of Tralee with her family and can’t wait to experience it first-hand.

For the school project, her initial goal was to raise €11,000 but Nicole ended up raising in the region of €30,000.

It looks now that things could be getting even better than taking part for the maths and education graduate as she was the subject of some sustained support from the west over the past few days. That has seen her odds of winning crash into 7/2 from 16/1 with BoyleSports, making her the favourite to succeed last year’s winner, representing Waterford, Kirsten Kate Maher.

Antrim’s representative Orlagh McClinton is now second favourite having been backed into 5/1 from 40/1 after the original market opened.

Lawrence Lyons, spokesperson for BoyleSports, said: “There are some very credible candidates this year and it looks like it’s going to be a very tough one to call. Mayo Rose Nicole Loughlin is the current favourite after she was backed into 7/2 from 16/1 and it seems the locals think she has what it takes to be crowned the winner."