KIRSTEN Mate Maher became the first African-Irish Rose of Tralee when she claimed the title back in 2018.
The Waterford Rose was just 21 when she was crowned winner of the popular competition.
Here’s the lowdown.
HOW OLD IS KIRSTEN AND WHERE IS SHE FROM?
Stunning Kirsten was just 21 when she won the Rose of Tralee and is now aged 22.
She is from Mullinavat in Co Kilkenny.
The 2018 Rose of Tralee is half Zambian.
Kirsten previously revealed how her parents met when her dad Kwalo, then a cadet in the Zambian army, met her mother Jacinta while training in the Curragh. He later resigned from his army to return to live in Ireland.
WHAT DOES SHE DO?
Talented Kirsten is currently a model for top Irish agency PrimaModels.
The 22-year-old also plans to study multimedia after her year as Rose.
WHAT DID HER YEAR AS ROSE ENTAIL?
Kirsten worked with the Hope Foundation in India back in October, before travelling to Belarus with Adi Roche Chernobyl Children International in February.
She deferred her college studies after being accepted to study Multimedia and Application Development while she was in Tralee last year.
And she said she didn’t want the fact that she was the first African-Irish Rose of Tralee to be focused on.
She said: “Ireland has changed so much and it’s so much more accepting. We’re all mixed and we’re all from different parts of the world.
“I know it’s a little bit more obvious with myself – I’ve curly hair and darker skin.”
She continued: “But at the end of the day we need to see past that and realise there is no typical Irish woman.
“We’re all different and we all come in all shapes and sizes and skin colours and hair and freckles/no freckles. We’re such a diverse community, and we need to embrace that.”
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RACIAL ABUSE
Just days after being crowed Rose of Tralee at the Dome, Kirsten was subjected to vile insults at a Kilkenny city chip shop after a night out with friends.
The incident was then investigated by Gardai.
A Rose spokesman said: “Regrettably, Kirsten has been subjected to racial abuse from people in the past and it is something that she and many others in Ireland have to deal with on a regular basis.
“As the Rose of Tralee, Kirsten intends to highlight the fact that society in Ireland is becoming more diverse and that there is no place for racism.”
