An Comhdháil World Irish Dancing Top Five Girls under 14
Photo by James Browne ReelDancePix
The first An Comhdháil World Irish Dance Championships were held at CityWest Hotel in Dublin, Ireland from April 1-7, 2012.  Though the organization is more than 40 years old, past majors have only been at the All-Ireland or All-Scotland level.  Dancers and teachers were welcomed to the week-long celebration of the An Comhdhail's best Irish dancers at CityWest in Dublin.


An Comhdháil Na Múinteoirí Le Rincí Gaelacha is an association which, since 1970, has certified Irish dancing teachers and adjudicators whose mission is to "foster, encourage and promote at a local level the art and practice of Irish dancing".  While the website says there are a total of 24 regions located in Australia, Eastern Europe, Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, most An Comhdháil competitors - and all of the 2012 An Comhdháil World Irish Dancing Champions - are from Ireland or Scotland.


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Read more:


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Recap of Solo Awards at An Coimisiun Le Rince Gaelacha Worlds

Letting go: competitors travel without parents to major competitions
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An Comhdháil World Irish Dance Championships consisted of 20 solo championships:  13 girls' competitions from under 10 to Senior Ladies over 21, and 7 boy's championships which are double age groups starting with under 11 upwards.  All Championships are over three rounds, with five adjudicators. The first two rounds are also adjudicated as a solo by a sixth adjudicator. The solo results given have no impact on the overall Championship result.
Solo Championship Results for Girls/Ladies and Boys/Men


Girls Under 10 - Abigail Cassidy, Hugh McKenna School, Waterford
Girls Under 11 - Charlie McCable, Dawson McDonnell School, Dublin
Girls Under 12 - Meabh Sherry, Cummings School, West Tyrone
Girls Under 13 - Shannon Walsh, Cullen School, Derry/Donegal
Girls Under 14 - Aoife McCallion, Cullen School, Derry/Donegal
Girls Under 15 - Sarah Dooley, Dawson McDonnell Academy, Dublin
Girls Under 16 - Zoe Talbot, Lee-Byrne Academy, Dublin
Girls Under 17 - Aiobhin McDaid, Concannon-Ganley Academy, Midlands (Ireland)
Girls Under 18 - Caoimhe Ennis, Clarke-Goodman Academy, Dublin
Girls Under 19 - Eve Groves, Sherry School, Dublin
Girls Under 20 - Miriam Lee, Lee-Byrne Academy, Dublin
Girls Under 21 - Michelle Curran, McLaughlin, Derry/Donegal
Senior Ladies Over 21 - Debbie McCallion, Coyle School, Derry/Donegal


Boys Under 11 - Stephen Devlin, Hugh McKenna School, mid-Ulster
Boys Under 13 - Sean Burbage, Lynam School, Kildare/Laois
Boys Under 15, Stephen Teague, Crean School, Dublin
Boys Under 17 - Conn Power, Lee-Byrne Academy, Dublin
Boys Under 19 - Calum Kelly, Peter Thompson School, Scotland
Boys Under 21 - Lee McCrystal, Baxter School, West Tyrone
Senior Men - Will Croke, Mulcahy-Bible School, Waterford


Full results, including solo round awards, may be found at An Comhdháil World Irish Dance.  Look for photo galleries here on Irish Central's Irish dance page in the next few days courtesy of ReelDancePix.





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