Southern California Rose of Tralee

Southern California Rose of Tralee 2008

Sinéad Cunningham

Sinéad Eithne Cunningham is the twenty-fifth young woman to be crowned the Southern California Rose of Tralee and given the distinct honor of representing Southern California in Tralee, Ireland.  Sinéad joins a unique sisterhood of women, beginning with the first Southern California Rose in 1984, who have continued the tradition of the Rose of Tralee in Southern California for more than two decades.

Sinéad was born twenty-one years ago in Belfast, Northern Ireland.  She will be graduating from the University of California at San Diego in June 2008 with a degree in sociology.  Her special area of study at UC San Diego has been the sociology of family, childhood, violence and the media.   Recently, Sinéad started an internship working with the children of incarcerated parents.  Sinéad is an alumni of

Sultana High School in Hesperia, CA.   

Her future plans include pursuing graduate school and continuing to work with the young.  She aspires to be a mentor to young people and encourage them to become contributing members of society.

Sinéad is the daughter of James and Eithne Cunningham.   She is one of five children, who include Donal (age 25), Emer (age 23), Eoin, (age 18) and Niall (age 13).  Sinéad describes her family as amazing.  She notes that her family is very quick with the wit, so there is always laughter abound.  The Cunningham family is also very determined and loving.  One of the family’s favorite things to do is to play card games and board games together.

Her family’s Irish roots are found in Counties Tyrone, Derry, Donegal, Antrim, and Down.  Her parents were both born in Belfast and Sinéad and her family immigrated to the United States when she was six. 

The blue-eyed dark haired Sinéad spends much of her free time as a member of I Partners at UCSD and Alpha Kappa Delta.  She claims The Devil Wears Prada as one of her favorite literature.   Her favorite movies include Step Up and Save The Last Dance and Katherine Heigel is one of her favorite performers.  Her tastes in music run from the ballads of Celine Dion to the rock and pop sounds of U2 and Snow Patrol.  Sinéad is passionate about sports and loves playing soccer and volleyball and is a die-hard Padres fan.  Over the years, her travels have taken her to Ireland, England, Scotland, France, Italy, Spain and Germany.

With fourteen former Roses in attendance as part of Southern California’s 25^th anniversary celebration, Sinéad Eithne Cunningham was chosen on March 15, 2008 from ten young women of Irish heritage to represent Southern California this summer in Tralee, Ireland.

Southern California Rose of Tralee 2007

Aileen Whelan

Aileen Ciara Whelan was the twenty-fourth young woman to be crowned the Southern California Rose of Tralee and given the distinct honor of representing Southern California in Tralee, Ireland.  Aileen joined a unique sisterhood of women, beginning with the first Southern California Rose in 1984, who have continued the tradition of the Rose of Tralee in Southern California for more than two decades.

Aileen was born twenty-one years ago in Santa Barbara, California.  She graduated from the University of California at Riverside in June 2008 with a degree in biology.  She counts biochemisty as her favorite subject and her special area of study at UC Riverside is microbiology.  Aileen is an alumni of La Reina High School.   

Her future plans include graduating from law school and practicing law in Ireland as a patent lawyer.  Currently, she is a dance teacher at the Claddaugh School of Irish Dancing. 

At the Grand Ball, Aileen performed a party piece for the audience by showing her talents as an Irish step-dancer.

Aileen is the daughter of Donal Whelan and Eithne O’Neill.   She has an older brother, Shane, and an older sister, Cathie.   Aileen describes her family as close-knit – traveling together and playing games together.  They are also encouraging of Aileen and come to her dance competitions to show their unwavering support.  One of the family’s favorite things to do is to watch Irish soccer games together.

Her family’s Irish roots are found in Counties Mayo, Kildare, Roscommon, Dublin.  Her father grew up in Dublin and her mother in Roscommon and immigrated to the United States in the early 1980’s.  Her grandmother Lucy is from Roscommon and her grandmother Lily is from Mayo.  It was her grandmother Lily who told Aileen about the Rose of Tralee and was Aileen’s inspiration for participating in the Rose Program.

The blue-eyed dark haired Aileen spends much of her free time volunteering with the elderly and tutoring small children.  She claims And Still We Rise and Taming of the Shrew as well as any works by W.B. Yeats, as some of her favorite literature.   She loves watching soccer and hurling and her travels have taken her to Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland, Canada, and throughout most of the United States.

Aileen Ciara Whelan was chosen on March 17, 2007 from thirteen young women of Irish heritage to represent Southern California in Tralee, Ireland.

Southern California Rose of Tralee 2006

Meghan Dixon

Meghan Phyllis Dixon was the twenty-third young woman to be crowned the Southern California Rose of Tralee and given the distinct honor of representing Southern California in Tralee, Ireland.  Meggy joined a unique sisterhood of women, beginning with the first Southern California Rose in 1984, who have continued the tradition of the Rose of Tralee in Southern California for more than two decades.

Meggy was born twenty-one years ago in San Diego, California.  She is a graduate of Temecula Valley and was home schooled.  She is currently attending Mt. San Jacinto Community College where she is studying musical theater.  She counts theatre, dance, music and French as her favorite subject.   

Her future plans include pursuing her masters and making a career of performing.  She hopes to have a steady stream of auditions in both small and large theaters.

Meggy also performed a party piece for the audience by showing her talents as an Irish step-dancer.

Meggy resides in Temecula, California and is very close to her family.  She is the daughter of James and Rhonda Dixon.   She has two sisters, Sara Dixon Villagran and Hannah Dixon and a brother-in-law, Alex Villagran.  As she says, her family is like a musical comedy—we use laughter and music to get through everything. 

Her family’s Irish roots are found in Donegal.  Her great-grandparents immigrated from Donegal to Nova Scotia.  Her grandmother was born in Boston and grew up Irish step-dancing which sparked Meggy’s interest in Irish dance. 

She spends much of her free time volunteering at the beginning classes of the Claddagh School of Irish Dance.  She also spends time volunteering to choreograph and direct in local children’s theater.

The blue-eyed red haired Meggy enjoys the theater and listening to classical jazz, along with anything Irish.  She counts Pride and Prejudice as one of her favorite novels, along with the Harry Potter series of books.  Her favorite movies run along those of the musical genre, including My Fair Lady and The Sound of Music.  Meggy is also an avid baseball and NFL fan.  Her travels have taken her throughout much of the southwest of the United States. 

Meghan Phyllis Dixon was chosen on March 18, 2006 from sixteen young women of Irish heritage to represent Southern California in Tralee, Ireland.

Southern California Rose of Tralee 2005

Ashley Stanbury

Ashley Renee Stanbury was the twenty-second young woman to be crowned the Southern California Rose of Tralee and given the distinct honor of representing Southern California in Tralee, Ireland.  Ashley joins a unique sisterhood of women, beginning with the first Southern California Rose in 1984, who have continued the tradition of the Rose of Tralee in Southern California for more than two decades.

Ashley was born nineteen years ago in Ventura, California.  She is a graduate of South Torrance High School and currently attending El Camino College where she is studying general education and music.  She counts history as one of her favorite subjects.  Ashley intends to transfer someday and continue pursuing her education in the vocal arts. 

Her career plans include teaching music and perhaps singing in a jazz band.  Her mystery question for the evening reflected her love and appreciation for the Jazz Era.  She was asked If you had chance to travel back in time for a week, what era would you choose and what are some things you would do?  Ashley’s response—Harlem, 1920’s and see Ella Fitzgerald perform at a jazz club.

Ashley also performed a party piece for the audience by singing “The Kerry Dancers”

Ashley resides in Torrance, California and is very close to her family.  She is the daughter of Corey Stanbury, a swim coach and physical education teacher, and Nancy Stanbury, a teacher’s assistant.   As she says, her parents she can’t get away from as her mother worked at her high school and now her father works at her college.  She is also very close to her fifteen year old sister, Tracy, and remarks that she cannot be without her.  She has family in Northern California as well and looks forward to trips to visit them.

Her family’s Irish roots are found in the south of Ireland.  Her maternal great-grandmother Helen Marie Wilson and maternal great-grandfather, Thomas Wilson, were both from southern counties in Ireland.

The brown-eyed brunette Ashley is an avid snowboarder and enjoys the outdoors, especially soaking up the California rays.  Her other favorite outdoor activities include swimming and water polo.  Of course, having fun and meeting new people is something else Ashley enjoys, too.

Ashley enjoys a wide variety of music from Ella Fitzgerald to Led Zeppelin to Mozart’s Requiem to No Doubt.  Her favorite movies include Zoolander, Monty Python, and The Princess Bride.  She also loves to swim competitively and watching the U.S. Olympic Trials in Long Beach.  Her travels have taken her camping all over the western United States, as well as to New York and overseas to Germany.

Ashley Renee Stanbury was chosen on March 12, 2005 from fourteen young women of Irish heritage to represent Southern California in Tralee, Ireland.