Royston Brady may have endured a fall from political grace but as a Rose of Tralee judge he's been wielding a different kind of power this week.
Last night, before the first Roses went on stage at the Dome, the ex-Dublin lord mayor and failed FF candidate in the European elections explained what he looked for in a Rose. "Someone a bit like myself," he said. "Someone who is direct and not afraid to express an opinion . . . the old days are gone."
Judge Brady said he was impressed by the fact that a few of the Roses weren't afraid to admit to the judges that they had lost their voices from partying too hard. The reason he wanted to be involved in the Rose contest was because he was "fed up to the back teeth of watching tripe reality TV shows" such as RTÉ's Celebrity You're A Star.
"Compared to them, the Rose is a breath of fresh air, it's sophisticated," he said.
Actually, the Rose is perfect reality TV fodder: 30 glamorous young women holed up in the fourth floor of a hotel, occasionally surfacing to compete for the Rose crown while 30 escorts run around after them carrying emergency supplies of tweezers, deodorant and lip gloss.
Half of the contestants were quizzed at the €40-a-head event at the Dome last night by Ray D'Arcy. The Today FM star is playing a blinder, mainly because unlike some past hosts he doesn't appear to have a patronising bone in his body.
Whoever is crowned Rose of Tralee tonight, Darwin Rose Brigid Killen deserves some kind of prize. The pretty boutique manager recited a Robert McCall poem called Green and Gold Malaria; "The day would soon arrive when I could not ignore the rash," read the first line of her party piece.
It takes more than an ability to read a poem with the word rash in the opening line in front of 2,000 people to be a Rose, though. Hobbies such as kickboxing, boxercise and synchronised trampolining are practically compulsory these days, overtaking the obligatory multiple degrees which serve to prove that these women are much more than just a load of lovely girls.
Earlier in the afternoon, all the Roses attended a barbeque where they tried to look elegant while chewing ribs smothered in sauce. Two of the 27-strong Texan entourage sat in the garden wearing black cowboy hats covered with yellow rose stickers. It's Frank Dunigan's fifteenth visit to the festival. "Back home in the States you don't get to go to bed late or enjoy yourself the way you do in Tralee," he explained.
Richard Welch said the Texas Rose, Erin Barnard, who is being tipped for the crown, was "a sweetheart". "There's never been a Texas Rose, so we feel a bit like outcasts," he joked.
As the day wore on, residents in the elevators at the Brandon Hotel had to dodge trolley loads of "good luck" floral bouquets on their way up to the Roses. And while Roses padded around in their pyjamas and slippers, hotel staff were also spotted delivering sachets of honey to soothe aching throats.
At the dress rehearsal yesterday morning, Belfast Rose and Britney Spears lookalike Aisling McDowell broke down in tears after her voice went while trying to sing "I Know My Love". Her despair was understandable given that she had to go through X-Factor style auditions to even be allowed do a party piece. "Don't worry," soothed one of the Rose officials as the kindly Texas Rose gave the Belfast Rose a hug. "Not singing just means you'll have more time to talk about how fabulous you are".
"You're A Rose!" coming soon to a television set near you.