Inishowen Irish Dancers
off to World Championships
by Simon McGeady, Inishowen
Independent
EIGHT Inishowen dancers with dreams of becoming the
next Aidan McGinley are currently in Philadelphia
taking part in the World Irish Dancing
Championships.
The local dancers are among 28 from the McConomy
School to have qualified for the event, which runs
until April 12 in the Philadelphia Hilton Garden
Inn.
Nadine Doherty, Emma McLaughlin and Rachel McGinley
from Buncrana, Emma McGonigle from Quigley's Point,
Fahan’s Michelle Bradley and Tooban’s Roisin Carlin
will join Killea brothers Gerard and David McNamee
in Pennsylvania later this week.
Dance instructors Elizabeth Hegarty, Rosetta Bradley
and Tara Doherty will accompany the young hopefuls.
Speaking to the Inishowen Independent, the mother of
Buncrana 2008 World Champion Aidan McGinley, said
the local dancers had high hopes of doing well at
the World Championships, although she admitted that,
the event being on American soil, they will face
stiff competition from US dancers.
“Because a lot of American winners don’t travel
abroad to compete, I expect the standard will be
very high in Philadelphia, but I am confident our
dancers can make it to the first recall at least,”
said Margaret, who was hopeful that some of the
local dancers will pick up a medal at the
Championships.
“The dancers have been practicing almost every day
for the last couple of weeks to get ready for the
competition,” said Margaret, whose daughter Rachel
is competing in the Ladies 19 to 21 age group.
Like her older brother, Rachel is a veteran of
several World Championships, however for David
McNamee and Emma McGonigle, this will be their first
time to compete at this level.
“It will be hard, because there are well over 100
dancers in each category, but I hope that some of
our dancers can win world medals and automatically
qualify for next years event, because this will
allow some of our other dancers a chance to qualify
next year.”
This is not he first time McConomy dancers have
competed in Philadelphia. They were represented at
the North American championships in 2004.
The rest of the McConomy dancers going to
Philadelphia this year come from other parts of
Donegal, as well as Derry and Tyrone. |
