| Reaping the rewards from the Irish
dancing boom THE PHENOMENON that is Irish dancing just continues
to grow.
The World Championships have just finished in Glasgow and are being hailed
by many seasoned observers as the biggest and best yet.
It’s difficult to relate the event of today to the tiny get-together
which started it all off in humble surroundings in Dublin almost 40 years
ago.
The Irish Dancing World Championships is now such a major event that cities
all over the world are eager to offer themselves as hosts due to the amount
of money it brings to the local economy.
What’s more the standard of the competitors seems to get better
all the time and this year was no different.
Arguments will continue to rage over the costumes, wigs, make-up and the
cash spent by parents as their children compete across the country.
But the skill and dedication of the dancers should be applauded. It
takes hours of training and good levels of fitness to do what they do
and in an era when we are repeatedly being told many youngsters are turning
into obese, TV and video game-obsessed couch potatoes what better way
to stay fit than Irish dancing?
Its global success also works as a welcome form of advertising for Ireland’s
tourism industry and ensures Irish culture is practiced and celebrated
on a worldwide scale.
So congratulations to Glasgow on staging a superb contest and well done
to everyone who took part.
Here’s to next year.
|
