Rathmullan woman Katie McAteer has been crowned as the new Donegal Rose for 2022.

The 24-year-old PR account manager has an exciting summer ahead as she represents Donegal at home and at the Rose of Tralee International Festival in Kerry in August.

Katie was chosen from a group of 10 young women who took part in a selection event in The Abbey Hotel on Saturday night, where the longest reigning Donegal Rose, Chloe Kennedy, handed over the title.

“Chloe has been an amazing ambassador for the Rose of Tralee and for Donegal,” the committee said.

All the Roses were interviewed by judges Rory O’Donnell, Ali Logue and Catherine Lagan in the Central Hotel before their friends and family gathered for the evening selection in the Abbey Hotel with MC Ollie Turner.

Donegal Rose 2022 Katie McAteer
The Donegal Rose finalists

Katie works for The Right Angle PR Agency in Ramelton. She studied Journalism and New Media with Spanish at the University of Limerick and graduated in 2020. This course involved travel in both Barcelona and in Glasgow. Katie’s office is in Donegal which she loves as it gives her more time to spend with family and to enjoy the countryside. Katie enjoys writing and Gaelic football. and is involved with Rathmullan Film Festival which inspires young people in Donegal to be creative.

Katie would love to work in the media industry, both behind the scenes and in front of the camera. Not for fame, but for the love of it. She also hopes to eventually write a book and wishes to continue working with people from rural Ireland to encourage them to be creative and use their skills to create films, poems and stories.

Katie is passionate that young people should realise that they can work in the creative industries and hopes to encourage same.

She is sponsored by Drumhalla House.

The finalists, Rosebuds and Escorts at The Abbey Hotel

All the Roses sparkled last night in jewellery from R McCullagh Jewellers and arrived in style in a Peter McClean stretched limousine.

The little ‘Rosebuds’ Muireann, Sarah, Eliza and Isobel were stars of the evening in their own right and were gifted with treats from Rorys Auto Spares. A special mention goes to the Escorts Colton Friel and Gareth Ball.