Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin

Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin
Born 1982 or 1983
County Mayo
Residence Dublin
Nationality Irish
Alma mater University College Dublin
Occupation schoolteacher
Title Rose of Tralee
Term August 2005 – August 2006
Predecessor Orla O'Shea
Successor Kathryn Anne Feeney

Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin is an Irish schoolteacher, television personality, and singer from County Mayo, who won the 2005 Rose of Tralee contest. Ní Shúilleabháin graduated with a first-class honours degree in theoretical physics from University College Dublin in 2005 and won the Mayo Rose competition in June 2005, becoming an early favourite to win the national contest. Following her victory in August 2005, she represented the Rose of Tralee festival for a year.

In 2007, Ní Shúilleabháin toured internationally with traditional Irish music band Ragús and appeared on RTÉ Television as a member of The Panel. She participated in the reality television show Celebrity Bainisteoir in 2008 and hosted The Reel Deal, an Irish music show, on RTÉ in 2009. Previously working as a teacher in St Mark's Community School in Tallaght, South Dublin, teaching mathematics and science, as of 2011 she is undertaking a PhD at Trinity College, Dublin.[1]

Contents

Early life

Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin was born 1983 or 1984 to parents Art and Maire and is a native of Carnacon near Ballyglass in southern County Mayo.[2][3] Art is director of the Mayo Education Centre and Maire is vice-principal of the Castlebar gaelscoil.[4] She has five younger brothers and is fluent in Irish.[2][5] Ní Shúilleabháin and her brothers are members of the Irish cultural organisation Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann and she has won for singing in the national Fleadh Cheoil competition.[6] She studied theoretical physics at University College Dublin and graduated with a first-class honours degree in 2005.[2]

Rose of Tralee contest

Ní Shúilleabháin won the Mayo Rose competition on 15 June 2005 in Castlebar after singing "Summerfly" by Irish singer Maura O'Connell and accompanying herself on guitar.[7] She qualified in July 2005 for the finals of the Rose of Tralee contest.[2] As the result of a rules change Ní Shúilleabháin was the first Mayo Rose as final contestant in the history of the competition.[5] She toured Ireland with the other finalists in August 2005 and sang for the final competition.[5][8] Ní Shúilleabháin was considered by bookmakers to be an early favourite to win the Rose of Tralee contest.[3]

Ní Shúilleabháin was crowned the 47th Rose of Tralee on 23 August 2005 in a ceremony broadcast by RTÉ Television and watched by three quarters of Irish television viewers.[5][9] She had been accepted by University College Dublin to a master's degree in computational science, which was to start in September 2005, but instead worked as a representative for the Rose of Tralee festival for a year after her win.[2]

Career after Rose of Tralee

In 2007, Ní Shúilleabháin toured the United States, Japan, and Europe as the lead singer of Ragús, a traditional Irish music band.[10] She has stated that she plays the concertina and sings sean-nós songs.[11] Ní Shúilleabháin appeared as a member of The Panel on RTÉ Two in 2007.[10] She participated in the 2008 season of Celebrity Bainisteoir on RTÉ One, managing a Gaelic football team from Kiltimagh.[12]

In 2009, Ní Shúilleabháin studied for a higher diploma in education at Trinity College, Dublin, where she regularly hosted events for the Science Gallery, and began to work as a student teacher for mathematics, physics, and Irish language in Tallaght, South Dublin.[11][13] She graduated with her higher diploma to teach at secondary level the same year.[4] She hosted the weekly Irish music show The Reel Deal on RTÉ Television for six episodes from June to July 2009.[14][15] She served as ambassador for the Irish language festival Seachtain na Gaeilge in March 2010.[16]

Personal life

Ní Shúilleabháin broke up with her long-term boyfriend after winning the Rose of Tralee contest and has dated The Late Late Show host Ryan Tubridy until 2010.[13][17][18] She resides in Dublin.[11]

References

  1. ^ "Keen to map a new way forward". The Irish Times. 29 November 2011. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/education/2011/1129/1224308275944.html. 
  2. ^ a b c d e Esler, Cróna (16 August 2005). "Aoibhinn is all set to blossom in Tralee". Western People. Archived from the original on 17 September 2010. http://www.webcitation.org/5so4nS3T3. Retrieved 22 February 2010. 
  3. ^ a b Anderson, Nicola (24 August 2005). "Bookies' favourite Aoibhinn is the new Rose". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 17 September 2010. http://www.webcitation.org/5so4rmYkI. Retrieved 22 February 2010. 
  4. ^ a b Lavery, Mairead (13 June 2009). "A Rose for all seasons". Irish Farmers Journal. Archived from the original on 17 September 2010. http://www.webcitation.org/5so4uQgOr. Retrieved 17 September 2010. 
  5. ^ a b c d Esler, Cróna (31 August 2005). "Carnacon's Aoibhinn wins the heart of a nation in Rose final". Western People. Archived from the original on 17 September 2010. http://www.webcitation.org/5so4wkeZ0. Retrieved 22 February 2010. 
  6. ^ "Mayo Rose to bloom in the Royal". Mayo Advertiser. 24 October 2008. Archived from the original on 17 September 2010. http://www.webcitation.org/5so4ytEb0. Retrieved 22 February 2010. 
  7. ^ Esler, Cróna (15 June 2005). "Claremorris girl is Mayo Rose of Tralee". Western People. Archived from the original on 17 September 2010. http://www.webcitation.org/5so51KRlF. Retrieved 22 February 2010. 
  8. ^ Esler, Cróna (8 July 2005). "Aoibhinn to represent Mayo in Tralee". Western People. Archived from the original on 17 September 2010. http://www.webcitation.org/5so55K6eA. Retrieved 22 February 2010. 
  9. ^ "A Rose blooms: And so does the TV show". Irish Independent. 25 August 2005. Archived from the original on 17 September 2010. http://www.webcitation.org/5so561q3o. Retrieved 22 February 2010. 
  10. ^ a b Duffy, Michael (14 August 2007). "Rose blooms". Mayo News. Archived from the original on 17 September 2010. http://www.webcitation.org/5so58ZCMR. Retrieved 22 February 2010. 
  11. ^ a b c Dwyer, Ciara (17 May 2009). "Aoibhinn Ni Shuilleabhain". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 17 September 2010. http://www.webcitation.org/5so5AhYML. Retrieved 22 February 2010. 
  12. ^ Commins, Michael (4 March 2008). "A late, late show". Mayo News. Archived from the original on 17 September 2010. http://www.webcitation.org/5so5FVZxc. Retrieved 22 February 2010. 
  13. ^ a b Nolan, Lorna (6 May 2009). "Sexy scientist stays tight-lipped on her chemistry with Ryan". Evening Herald. Archived from the original on 17 September 2010. http://www.webcitation.org/5so5HGlGX. Retrieved 22 February 2010. 
  14. ^ Horan, Niamh (17 May 2009). "Tubridy's talented other half is 'The Reel Deal'". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 17 September 2010. http://www.webcitation.org/5so5Kbrnn. Retrieved 22 February 2010. 
  15. ^ Finn, Melanie (8 July 2009). "Aoibhinn's TV ratings show she's not just a pretty face". Evening Herald. Archived from the original on 17 September 2010. http://www.webcitation.org/5so5N9rd5. Retrieved 22 February 2010. 
  16. ^ Ní Shúilleabháin, Aoibhinn (5 March 2010). "Celebrity Diary: Aoibhinn Ni Shuilleabhain". Evening Herald. Archived from the original on 17 September 2010. http://www.webcitation.org/5so8cda8A. Retrieved 17 September 2010. 
  17. ^ Finn, Melanie (2 September 2009). "Aoibhinn has changed my life, she is 'spectacular'". Evening Herald. Archived from the original on 17 September 2010. http://www.webcitation.org/5so6Aphp1. Retrieved 22 February 2010. 
  18. ^ McBride, Caitlin (11 January 2011). "Awkward moment alert for Ryan and Aoibhinn at Young Scientist show". Evening Herald. http://www.herald.ie/entertainment/around-town/awkward-moment-alert-for-ryan-and-aoibhinn-at-young-scientist-show-2491374.html. Retrieved 23 July 2011. 

External links

Preceded by
Orla O'Shea		 Rose of Tralee
August 2005 – August 2006		 Succeeded by
Kathryn Anne Feeney