Dublin Rose Suad Mooge was subjected to “horrible” online racist abuse after she was selected to represent the county earlier this year. However, she insists she “can’t focus on that” and is instead pouring her energy into preparations for the Rose of Tralee festival next week.“It’s horrible and I suppose, especially in the day and age that we live in, a lot of these online websites – Twitter and whatnot – they are not regulated. People are saying some horrible stuff on there, but again you can’t focus on that,” she said. The 26-year-old medical scientist has made clear that the racist abuse was not from within the Rose of Tralee community.“Everyone from the Rose of Tralee community has been so supportive of me, especially when all of that happened,” she said. “They kind of stepped forward and were fighting my corner.“There was a lot of negativity but the positivity and all that support has kind of drowned that out and changed the narrative, changed the perspective. I am focusing on the positive, not the negative." Mooge was speaking at St Helen’s Hotel in Dublin on Tuesday. It was the latest pit stop on the Roses’ whirlwind Irish tour, which will take them across the country before they are welcomed to Tralee at the festival’s moonlight parade on Sunday. Presenters Dáithí Ó Sé and Kathryn Thomas at the introduction of the 2026 Roses of Tralee at St Helen's Hotel in Dublin on Tuesday. Photograph: Clodagh Kilcoyne/The Irish Times The main event of the festival is the international Rose of Tralee selection, which will be televised on August 18th and 19th and presented by Dáithí Ó Sé and Kathryn Thomas.More than half a million viewers tuned in to watch Laois electrician Katelyn Cummins win the crown last year.Mooge, who is of Somali heritage, was born in Sligo and raised in Dublin. She grew up watching the show.“I would have been watching it when I was growing up and I never would have thought, ‘Oh, that’s something I could do’. But I want to be the rose that younger me could have seen on TV and thought ‘that could be me one day’."Cork Rose Lexi Linnane (left) Clare Rose Méabh Holland during a wheelbarrow race with Waterford Rose Cara Comerford and Toronto Rose Kylie Paliani at St Helen's Hotel in Dublin. Photograph: Clodagh Kilcoyne/The Irish Times For Jessica Hunter, the Kildare Rose, growing up Irish-Asian was at times challenging. “I definitely did struggle a little bit growing up,” she said. “I’m from a small town. It was never the easiest thing but it’s definitely helped me shape who I am as a person. I’ve taken great pride in it because it makes me who I am and I am unique for that.“My mam is from Ireland and my dad is from Hong Kong. That’s why I always tell people I look a little different. I was born and reared here and lived in Kildare town my whole life.”Like Mooge, she hopes she can be a role model for those who might not think the festival is for them.“I suppose I always wanted to be that kind of role model for anybody to look up to and realise that you don’t have to be what we would always assume to be a perfect rose,” she said.“It’s never just one box that you have to fit into. You can come as you are and have a seat at the table and you deserve to be there – and that is in everything in life.”The Aer Lingus and Emirates cabin crew member said the festival has “come so far” in terms of diversity.“I can definitely say that the Rose of Tralee has come so far and we are so diverse now, which is beautiful to see.”