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Céilí revives memories of Irish dance hall era
 By
Elaine Sheridan
A Kerry entrepreneur is hoping to capture the romance and excitement
of Ireland’s forgotten dance hall era to benefit Britain’s
young singletons.
Having come from Listowel to England just over six years ago telecommunications
consultant Frank Gaine thought there was something lacking socially in
the country’s capital.
He and business partner Steve Randall set about bringing back the magic
and simplicity of the dance hall era to London.
Aimed at 20 and 30-somethings living in the city Céilí Nights
aims to reintroduce the best and most memorable experiences associated
with lreland’s glorious dancing history.
The first of these fun nights is happening in the majestic surroundings
of Fulham Town Hall in the heart of West London on September 15.
Frank said: “Growing up in Ireland, I often heard talk about those
amazing dance hall days — the famous Tivoli, The Atlantic and many
others.
“In those days a céilí seemed to be the best place
to meet and get to know people.
“Back then people used to interact with each other much more and
I thought today’s going out experience needed to go back to basics
thus Céilí Nights was born.”
In true traditional style there’ll be a caller to show people the
steps and for some of the dances the girls will be seated on the left
of the hall while the boys are on the right.
Organisers are adamant that no experience is necessary and after a couple
of dances most revellers will have the steps down to a tee.
They feel that many young professionals now find the scene in pubs and
nightclubs too impersonal and monotonous.
And 31-year-old Frank said: “It’s more about having fun and
getting to know one-another on the dance floor.
“It’s about tapping into the spirit of days gone by and reinventing
the sense of fun and interaction we had back then.
“It’s about bringing Irish culture into the mainstream for
everyone to enjoy.
And with the company’s motto being ‘it doesn’t have
to be St. Patrick’s Day to party like the Irish’ it certainly
seems like a good starting point.
Céilí Nights are supported by London Irish Rugby Club.
The first event takes place on Saturday, September 15 after London Irish
take on Harlequins at Twickenham. Tickets £11.50.
n Contact 0845 643 1254 or e-mail steve@ceilinights.com for further details. |
