SHE WAS THE loveliest of all lovely girls. Philadeliphia Rose Maria Walsh was crowned the new Rose of Tralee on Tuesday night and everyone immediately fell in love with her.

Now, she’s opened up about her sexuality, revealing to the Sun on Sunday that she is gay and proud.

The 27-year-old, who moved to Mayo 20 years ago, told the paper that it’s really not a big deal, but ‘natural’.

I’m confident in who I am as a person. To me, being gay is normal. I told my parents and they were supportive, as I knew they would be. I’m not ashamed of my sexuality by any means. The Rose of Tralee is about celebrating women’s intelligence, careers, their volunteer work. The question of sexuality never came up.

Walsh also said that she was single at the moment but had previously been in a relationship with a woman for two years. She moved to New York, and later Philadelphia, once she finished her journalism degree in Griffith College Dublin.

The reaction to the news has been positive so far

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The Executive Chair of the Rose of Tralee International Festival, Anthony O’Gara said in a statement that they are “delighted” to have Maria as the Rose of Tralee.

She is a wonderful person, an attractive intelligent woman and a very worthy winner who happens to be gay.  Her sexuality will no doubt create some interest, hopefully all positive. She wants to be celebrated as Maria Walsh in the complete sense of her person and hopefully everyone will respect that.

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