Belfast Welcomes World Irish Dancing Championships Again
Girls 10-11 Results

With 131 girls registered to compete in the youngest World Irish Dancing Championship competition, it is easy to think of words such as "adorable" and "cute" when describing the dancers who are 10-11 years old.  But when these dancers took the stage in groups of three to dance first a heavy and then a light round, it quickly becomes clear that these are athletes of Olympic stature, with maximum grace, power, stamina and agility.  Traveling from as far away as Australia and New Zealand or as close as the next Irish county, families and teachers by the thousands are converging upon this historic city of Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The opening ceremony was exciting with a welcome by Belfast's Lord Mayor Niall O'Donnghaile and an outstanding performance by McPeake and friends that started off with flagbearers.  An Coimisiun le Rinci Gaelacha chairman Sean MacDonnchadha referred the glory of shipbuilding in the area that could not be tainted by the Titanic's fateful maiden voyage, citing the local idiom "she was fine when she left here".  He took the metaphor one step further advising the competitors that "the best ship is friendship" and encouraged each to shoot for their personal best and not to worry about the other competitors.
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Read more:

World Irish Dancing Championships International Adjudicator Panel

World Champion Irish Dance School McGing Ohio

World Irish Dancing Championships Preview
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With 56 of 131 entered in Girls 10-11, competitive dancers from Canada and the United States represented half or more of all the entrants.  In spite of the fact that all but one of North America's regional Irish dancing champions danced [Nora Ahern from Gilleoghan Irish Dance due to an adjudicator conflict], only a small percentage recalled:  15 for Girls 10-11 .  When all was said and done, North America's youngest qualified talent did hit the podium, but many may have left disappointed.  The  World Qualification itself is an incredible achievement; the memories made and time spent with family and friends in Belfast will last a lifetime for those who did not get to dance a third round.

The highest-placing North American in Girls 10-11 was Farran Dougherty from the Broesler School of Irish Dance with locations in Maryland, New Jersey and New York.  Dougherty placed 4th, the same position she recently achieved at the 2012 All-Ireland Irish Dancing Championships.  Rince na Tiarna's Emily Marino placed 6th. Sydney Niewiedicz from Trinity-13th, Grace Wright from Mullane-Healy-Godley at 14th, Olivia Nachtigal-Mattierin 17th, Sierra Donovan-O'Rourke at 18th and Cosette DeBourbon-Regan at 19th make seven North Americans in the Top 20!  Eight additional North Americans placed between 30th and 43rd place:  Maggie Priole, Kasey Methven, Maggie Whibbs, Delia Duran, Kate Contini, Meghan Gibbons, Sarah Campeau and Sadie Kiley Bucknam.

2012 World Irish Dancing Championships
Top 10 Girls 10-11

1-Emma Casey – McConomy – Ireland
2-Clodagh Davis – Carson – Ireland
3-Nicole McConway – McConomy Bradley – Ireland
4-Farran Dougherty – Broesler – USA
5-Sarah McDowell – Ard Rialla O’Donoghue – Ireland
6-Emily Marino – Rince na Tiarna – USA
7-Anna Mc Elhinney – McConomy Bradley – Ireland
8-Chloe Devine – Mulvenna – Ireland
9 (tie) Eilis Higgins Duggan - Ireland and Lara Ni Oisin - Scoil Rince Ui Bhriain - Ireland


Stay tuned for the next installment... more articles and results every day here on Go Feis! The Irish Dance Blog!

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