The first night of the Rose of Tralee has only just begun, but viewers already appear to have found their favourite.

Westmeath Rose Caoilfhinn Ní Choiligh has been inundated with praise following her emotional appearance on the RTÉ show, with viewers calling for her to take home the crown.

The 25-year-old from Mullingar opened up about living with alopecia areata, revealing that she began losing her hair at just 15 years old.

During her appearance, Caoilfhinn bravely removed her wig live on stage, before taking off several of her favourite wigs and eventually continuing the conversation with her head uncovered.

Her decision to speak so openly about her experience clearly resonated with viewers, who quickly took to social media to praise the Westmeath Rose.

One viewer wrote: ‘Give that girl the trophy already!’

Another said: ‘My winner. A beautiful, brave and inspiring young lady.’

Others described Caoilfhinn as ‘so inspiring’, while another viewer said she would be ‘a worthy winner’.

Caoilfhinn has also used her own experience to support others going through similar struggles.

She co-founded Hair Loss Haven with her friend Saoirse, creating a community for people experiencing hair loss and sharing information from her own journey.

During her Rose of Tralee appearance, she also had a message for anyone watching at home.

‘Embrace the imperfections, definitely,’ she said.

‘I think I’ve really tried to live as my authentic self unapologetically. And I think that’s something we need to do because we’re so hard on ourselves.’

She added: ‘We’re all different and special in many ways, just like my fellow Roses.’

The Rose of Tralee airs on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player on Monday and Tuesday from 8pm.