The Kildare Irish Figure Dancers are preparing to bring the heart and heritage of County Kildare to the streets of Paris this March as they take centre stage during Ireland Week 2026 celebrations in the French capital.
Running from March 10 to March 18, Ireland Week will showcase Irish culture across Paris and France, through music, literature, sport, food, cinema, tradition, and “the craic” — but it will be Kildare’s own figure dancers who will provide one of the most vibrant highlights of the programme.
A Paris Stage for Kildare Tradition
At an open-air pop-up Céilí organised by Tourism Ireland on Saturday, March 14, the Kildare Irish Figure Dancers will perform at Place de l’Odéon on the city’s iconic Left Bank, leading an event that promises to draw locals and tourists alike into the rhythm of Irish dance. The France-based Vésinet Irish Céilí Dancers will join the dancers travelling from Kildare, while music will be provided by the O’Champoe Irish Sessions musicians.
The dancing follows a unique Irish-themed “Culture Run” through Paris’s historic 5th and 6th arrondissements — created by Culture Run, in partnership with Tourism Ireland.
The run will explore Irish connections — from literature and music to whiskey — woven through the Latin Quarter, passing iconic monuments such as the newly renovated Notre Dame Cathedral and taking in the “Cultures of Ireland” exhibition created by Tourism Ireland. The exhibition will showcase multiple facets of Irish culture alongside the historic Church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. The run through the City of Light’s historic boulevards will conclude at the Céilí gathering.
Once the runners arrive at Place de l’Odéon, it will be the Kildare and Vésinet dancers who will kick up their heels. Following a demonstration of traditional Irish figure dances, passersby will be invited to join a free Céilí lesson in the open air — transforming the square into a lively celebration of shared culture.
Nearly 80 Years of Kildare Figure Dancing
The Kildare Irish Figure Dancers, a voluntary-run organisation with five classes across County Kildare, have been preserving and promoting Irish figure dancing for almost eight decades. The association has built a strong reputation for blending traditional choreography with contemporary energy, regularly performing at exhibitions and cultural events both nationally and internationally.
Among the dances set to feature is the ever-popular “Three Tunes,” one of the most entertaining and iconic Céilí dances — a performance that recently proved a major hit at a festival in Kildare:
For Jackie O’Neill-Noonan, founder of the France-based Vésinet Irish Céilí Dancers and a lifelong supporter of Kildare Irish figure dancing, the Paris gathering holds deep personal significance. A second-generation Kildare dancer, she grew up immersed in the tradition.
“The Kildare Irish Figure Dancers association has been in existence for almost 80 years,” she said. “My mother danced with them, and when she visits me in France, she joins in seamlessly with the Vésinet dancers. Dances like the Siege of Carrick work wherever in the world they are danced.”
A Pop-Up Céilí on the Left Bank
The idea of staging a Céilí on the Left Bank — perhaps catching the attention of someone stepping out for a morning coffee or a local shopkeeper pausing at their door — perfectly reflects the inclusive spirit of Irish figure dancing.
Rather than a formal stage performance, the event is designed as an accessible, joyful experience, inviting French participants to learn a few steps and experience the communal energy that defines a Céilí.
Barbara Wood of Tourism Ireland said the combination of dancers, live music, and audience participation offers a natural and engaging way to present Irish culture abroad.
“Irish dancers, the fun, the musicians, the conviviality and the fact that French people will join in and learn a few steps provide a terrific and inclusive way to present Irish culture,” she said.
“French people kicking up their heels and embracing a good Céilí swing — they’ll get a real feel of what ‘the craic’ is all about, right there on the spot at Place de l’Odéon.”
From Parish Halls to Parisian Squares
For the Kildare Irish Figure Dancers, who rehearse week after week in halls across the county, the opportunity to perform in one of Europe’s most historic cities is both a proud moment and a natural extension of their mission — keeping Irish figure dancing alive and bringing it to new audiences.
As Ireland Week 2026 unfolds across Paris, Irish culture will spill into cobbled streets and historic squares. And at the heart of it, Co Kildare’s dancers will be leading the steps.
France is currently Ireland’s fourth-largest tourism market — but after witnessing Kildare’s dancers in full swing on the Left Bank, the French may well be tempted to follow the music all the way back to Ireland.
This article was submitted to the IrishCentral contributors network by a member of the global Irish community. To become an IrishCentral contributor click here.
Comments