A new event, held for the first time this year, has already found a place on the Island’s programme of future attractions. It’s the Cumann Rince Dea Mheasa Ellan Vannin Irish Dance Championships, sponsored by Isle of Man Bank, which attracted competitors from Dublin and Belfast as well as the UK generally.
The competition was the brainchild of Sharon Rye from the Dance and Fun Factory who has been teaching Irish dancing at her studio in Onchan and taking away parties from the Isle of Man to compete in Ireland and UK events for the past five years. Said Sharon: ‘This form of dancing is celebrated all over the world and it was my ambition to showcase it in the Isle of Man.
‘It was a fantastic day at the Villa Marina with the age of dancers ranging from four to 24. The standard was amazing and our visitors not only loved the event but the Isle of Man itself and promised to return in even greater numbers next time.’
Next time will be in 2014 and the date has already been booked on the Irish Dance organisation calendar. The 2012 contest saw ten separate schools, and 100 individual competitors, taking part from Ireland, the UK and the Isle of Man itself with plans to make it an even bigger event two years down the line. In the meantime, next year sees the World Championships being staged in Germany and Sharon will be taking a party from the Island to compete in Dusseldorf.
She said: ‘The support we received in staging the inaugural Manx event was fantastic and our thanks go out to our main sponsor Isle of Man Bank and other businesses which rallied round. It all helped raise the profile of the competition and what our young people are doing for the Island, as well as putting Irish Dancing on the map.’
Awards – which included a number to Manx competitors – were presented by Conor Grant, Director of Isle of Man Bank’s Treasury and Investor Solutions.
Photo caption - Award winners in one of the beginner classes. Left to right: Bonnie Parsons, Isle of Man (second), Ella Page, Isle of Man (winner), Conor Grant from Isle of Man Bank, Lily Rose Kavanagh, Quinn School Dublin (third); front row: Emma Parsons, Isle of Man (tied second) Niamh Mycock, Isle of Man (fifth) and Kyra Power (Dublin Doyle Halpin School) who was fourth.
