New Luxembourg Rose Niamh Bergin is a true fan of the Grand Duchy. Indeed, the 24-year old from Kilkenny enjoyed her time in Luxembourg as a student intern with SES so much that she returned to find work here after graduating and is currently employed at the Bank of New York Mellon.

Guests at the Rose Ball gala dinner-dance on Saturday March 8 in the Hotel Le Royal were treated to an evening celebrating the very best of Irish, including a dance exhibition by members of Irish cultural circle Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, comedy from Niamh Huggard and dance music from DJ Sam Steen as well as a menu featuring Irish produce.

Ambassador Diarmuid O’Leary, marking his final Rose Ball, delivered a poignant and witty speech in which he praised the Luxembourg Rose Committee for its efforts in promoting Ireland in the “best possible light” and said that during his four years in the Grand Duchy he had become a fully-fledged “Rosaphile”.

Niamh was chosen by a jury headed by Yvonne O’Reilly ahead of fellow Roses Aishling Mulhern, Bridget Connolly, Fiona Fage and Orla Murray. She will now go on to represent Luxembourg at the regional finals of the International Rose of Tralee in Portlaoise in May.