Parkins, 25, a former Mercury reporter, is one of 65 young women of Irish descent who will compete in this year’s Rose of Tralee international festival, from August 17.

The population of quiet, seaside Tralee swells each year for the now 57-year-old pageant, a celebration of Irish heritage that has developed cult favourite status in its homeland, watched by millions live on TV and likened to Eurovision for its “daggy fun” factor. 

But far from being your run-of-the-mill beauty pageant, Parkins says the Rose is about empowering young women to be confident, bold, articulate and to embrace their family history.

“I owe all my toughness to the Irish women in my family,” she said.

“My grandmother worked full time in a factory with five kids in a strange country and never complained. My mother struggled and saved for years to make sure I could go to university.

“All my journalism skills come from that side too, I mean have you ever tried lying to an Irish woman?”

After winning over judges at the Sydney qualifier events, Parkins was selected to represent her city in Ireland.

Parramatta-born, via a long stint in Wollongong for university and work, Parkins is an award-nominated journalist and now a TV researcher at the ABC. She says she grew up in a typical working class immigrant family and entered the competition to make them proud.

“My grandparents came out to Australia 50 years ago with a few hundred dollars and no friends to give their children a better life,” she said.

“We didn’t always fit – like the times my granny insisted on bringing a teapot to the beach – but I’m so proud of where I come from.

“I’m the first in my family ever to go to uni and to pick a career and that wouldn’t have been possible without the sacrifices my family made.”

Parkins will depart for Ireland on August 8, then board a tour bus bound for a succession of Irish counties, ending in Tralee for the eight-day festival.

From there, it is a series of events and qualifiers leading up to the televised finals nights on August 22 and 23, watched by millions of people in Ireland and around the world.

Parkins considers herself an event underdog.

“I’m a complete tomboy in real life. I needed four ball gowns and 24 outfits for all the event. I had to beg borrow and steal and luckily The Dress Shoppe and Dress for a Night have stepped in like my fairy godmothers to dress me for the balls and TV otherwise I would have to wear mum’s old bridesmaid dresses.”

Despite being halfway across the world Parkins says she’s still a Gong girl at heart  

“They’ve asked me to bring a jersey, most girls are bringing Irish hurling jerseys but I think I’ll be the only Rose ever to don an old Illawarra Steelers footy jersey.”