NOBODY but nobody should be allowed look so good the morning after. There she was, the new Rose of Tralee, Colleen Mooney (25), at the fun fair in the town yesterday morning, looking as if the only thing that could sicken her was a trip on the Sky Dipper. (It whirls people into outer space then whips them back to earth again, all in seconds). There were many in Tralee yesterday morning who couldn't even look at the contraption.
Not Colleen. Awake for fewer hours than she cared to remember, she was still "shocked, thoroughly shocked" at being selected as the Rose of Tralee 1996. But, as she did the night before, this Toronto Rose and physiotherapy student kept a very cool head, as all about her were losing theirs.
"Not a bit surprised," said Peggy Delaney, president of the Canadian Aid and Cultural Society, which selected Colleen. "Our best Rose ever," she said, with tears in her eyes, still waving a lonesome maple leaf flag. That was on the Dome stage shortly after the announcement, as the other Roses swarmed around her to offer congratulations. "We can get drunk now. She can't," muttered one such lovely, sotto voce, with an unmistakable edge to her tone.
And judge Gaybo was there - as uncle Gaybo - in the midst of the melee, administering consolation and congratulations. "I have yet to meet the girl who has regretted taking part," he said, before praising this year's "bouquet" of Roses as particularly "outstanding young women
They were "a bit older and very well educated", all of which helped. He said the judges thought Colleen had "a certain air of sophistication". Cool, many would call it. She is also "a very nice person", said Gaybo, who did "an extremely good interview" and was "very good with groups" and in group interaction. As far back as Tuesday evening the judges "kinda" knew she was the girl for them. And the bookies didn't even rate her.
Her predecessor, Nyomi Horgan from Perth, was far from cool. The tears flowed freely. No, she wasn't sorry the year was over, but she still felt emotional as "it was such a special time".
On the fringes stood Tim O'Leary (26), Colleen's escort, an engineer from Cork. He thought her "a very pleasant girl with lots of energy". He works for a Cork company, but is now in Enniskillen. And no, he won't have to take a year off to travel with the new Rose, hither, thither and yon.
She was taken through stairways and streets lined with cheering and applauding crowds to be presented to the people of Tralee in the early hours of yesterday morning, stopping for a moment to deal with a blocked nose and take advice from committee elders on her speech.
On stage in the town centre, the thousands cheered her to the heavens as she told them of her "awesome week in Tralee" and thanked the rest of the Roses, present with her, who had been "the best thing of the week - the bottom line is that they are all winners".
Tenor Finbarr Wright serenaded her once more and there was a massive fireworks display before she led off the Roses parading through the town.
"Oh my God," she shouted, recognising Erin and Patricia Long from Toronto, as they ran alongside her float, carrying cans of lager and chanting "Toronto, Toronto". Erin explained Colleen had beaten her in the race to be the Toronto Rose this year and she had not known till that moment that either she or her sister were in Tralee. They were thrilled for her and for themselves.
Zara Keane (12), from Galway, asked a garda to pass a congratulatory card to Colleen, which he did. She passed back a red rose to the young lady. A group of youths waved their cans at her and sang "Rose, rose give us a wave; rose, rose give us a wave", and she did.
"Go way, you fine thing you," shouted one of them. And she did. "I didn't even know her name five minutes ago," mused a woman in the crowd.
Then there was the Brandon Hotel later, after all else had closed. There she was in the late small hours, still graciously accepting congratulations while all about her were hastening raucously on the road to hell.
And next morning she was looking like a red rose in June. It's hardly fair.
