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Movies & TV

20th Aug 2018

WATCH: Carlow Rose wins a lot of fans for discussing heroin addiction in her family

Carl Kinsella

Carlow rose

An absolutely top performance.

At its best, the Rose of Ireland gives Irish women the platform to bring to the fore social issues that don’t always get enough attention.

The Westmeath Rose was a tough act to follow, but the Carlow Rose, Shauna Ray Lacey, quickly won over many hearts by frankly discussing her parents’ struggles with heroin addiction.

Lacey, herself a mother, was supported in the crowd by her mam, who is in recovery. She dedicated her performance of Aslan’s ‘Crazy World’ to her late father — whom she said was responsible for all of her musical talent.

RTÉ shared a video of the performance.

Lacey’s honesty about such a difficult issue was a highlight of the opening night of the Rose of Tralee, and many commentators on social media were quick to praise the young woman.

Some went so far as to say that nobody else would best her.