Sponsors make most of Tralee

Sponsors naturally try to squeeze the last drop of benefit out of any deal but those companies which pitched in to support the Rose of Tralee took the proverbial biscuit. At the end of the evening the judges were introduced to the audience and... surprise surprise.. with the exception of Gay Byrne they were either the sponsor's marketing or PR people. At least they had the decency to look a bit sheepish when they appeared from behind the curtain to join Marty Whelan on stage. Still it's a dodgy precedent. Can we expect to see a Bank of Ireland marketing executive refereeing in Croke Park on Sunday?