2011 North American Irish Dancing Champion List

2011 North American Irish Dance Championship Results

Girls under 14a Top Nine

Girls under 9 Awards

Girls under 12a Top Ten

All photos copyright 2011 Feis America LLC

The 2011 North American Irish Dancing Championships resulted in a total of 17 titles carrying over from 2010 - 6 boys/men, 8 girls/ladies and 3 teams! The girls' champions included two pairs of sisters - Fiona and Kevinah Dargan from Rince na Tiarna (NY) and Charlotte and Anna Sulger from Pender-Keady (CT). Celtic Steps took five team titles, with Harney and Cashel-Dennehy teams next in number. Of special note is that Cashel-Dennehy's TWO under 16 ceili teams tied for first place in an unprecedented win!

Ten North American titles were carried across the Atlantic to Ireland and the United Kingdom, but the majority remain here in the United States and Canada. Congratulations to all those who qualified and those who topped the podiums!

Boys u8 Ronan O’Brien Anthony Costello Ireland
Boys u9 Collin Mountain Richens/Timm Ohio, US
Boys u10 Adam McGhee Coleman Ireland
Boys u11 Patrick Mello Harney Massachusetts, US
Boys u12 Sean Crosby Hagen New York, US
Boys u13 Owen Luebbers Broesler NJ/MD, US
Boys u14 Peter Dziak Trinity IL/WI, US
Boys u15 Mitchell Hodges Carey England
Boys u16 Drew Lovejoy McGing Ohio, US
Boys u17 Joe Bitter Carey England
Men u18 Nicholas Paulson Broesler NJ/MD, US
Men 18-20 Cathal Keaney Hession Ireland
Senior Men Michael Holland Richens/Timm Ohio, US

Girls u8 Charlotte Sulger Pender-Keady Connecticut, US
Girls u9 Molly McAdam Kelly-Hendry England
Girls u10 Emily Marino Rince na Tiarna New York, US
Girls u11A Ava Marie Schroder Mattierin Western Canada
Girls u11B Margeret Muise Tim O’Hare Michigan, US
Girls u12A Julia O’Rourke Petri New York, US
Girls u12B Clare Murray Macritchie Murray New Hampshire, US
Girls u13A Aîne Claire Sheehan McDade-Cara Pennsylvania, US
Girls u13B Melanie Valdes Petri New York, US
Girls u14A Fiona Dargan Rince na Tiarna New York, US
Girls u14B Anna Sulger Pender-Keady Connecticut, US
Girls u15A Aisling Reinhardt Elaine Kavanaugh Ireland
Girls u15B Mellissa McCarthy Harney Massachusetts, US
Girls u16A Niamh O’Brien Anthony Costello Ireland
Girls u16B Sarah Oldam Peter Smith New Jersey, US
Girls u17A Kevinah Dargan Rince na Tiarna New York, US
Girls u17B Kate Kaneko Peter Smith New Jersey, US
Girls u18A Kelly McCourt Gray Connecticut, US
Girls u18B Taylor Kerrane Petri New York, US
Ladies u19 Gabriella Wood Petri New York, US
Ladies u20 Nadine Martin Doherty England, Wales
Senior Ladies A Meghan Lucey Pender-Keady Connecticut, US
Senior Ladies B Frances Dunne Doherty England, Wales

Ceili Girls u9 Lavin-Cassidy Illinois, US
Ceili Girls u11 Harney Massachusetts, US
Ceili Girls u13 Harney Massachusetts, US
Ceili Girls u16 Cashel-Dennehy Illinois, US tied with Cashel-Dennehy Illinois, US!!!!
Ceili Girls 16+ Cashel-Dennehy Illinois, US
Mixed Ceili u9 Harney Massachusetts, US
Mixed Ceili u11 Harney Massachusetts, US
Mixed Ceili u13 Peter Smith New Jersey, US
Mixed Ceili u16 Celtic Steps Colorado, US
Mixed Ceili 16+ Whealan-Kennelly California, US
Figures u13 Celtic Steps Colorado, US
Figures u16 Celtic Steps Colorado, US
Figures 16+ Celtic Steps Colorado, US
Dance Drama McGing Ohio, US
Adult Women’s Ceili Whealan-Kennelly California, US
Mixed Figures u11 Mulhern Illinois, US
Mixed Figures u13 Drumcliffe New York, US
Mixed Figures 16+ Celtic Steps Colorado, US

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Fourth of July in Nashville at Irish Dance Championships

Mulhern (IL) sparklers dressed in new cheerwear that shouted America and delighted everyone who saw them as they practiced their ceili dances.

Nashville, Tennessee has one of the greatest fireworks displays every Independence Day and this year, the continent's very best Irish dancers kicked up some sparks of their own here! The team titles for the North American Irish Dancing Championship teams and most of the boy's solo titles were up for grabs on Monday, July 4th at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel.

Madison Dalton, Erin and Kaitlyn Tognettifrom Broesler (MD/NJ)

Melissa McCarthy, 2011 North American Champion Girls under 15 withTayler Nunes, 2nd place Boys under 16 from Harney Academy (MA)

Caleigh and Katie from Walsh-Kelley

Feis America on Irish Central has been expressly prohibited from posting live commentary and real-time results by the Irish Dance Teachers Association of North America. Follow live at www.nanationals.net and stay tuned here for fun and photos all week long!

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New England friends gather at National Irish Dancing Championships

Amy Bessey, Lizzie MacLellan, Kristen Towey and Victoria Goddard

from Proto-Casano (MA) enjoy the colorful fountain show

at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel.

Gilleoghan (CT) dancers Clare Ahern, Caitlin TeeKing, Sophie Jones and Maura Whaley.

Fun in the fountain at the Moms to Reel Boys Meet 'n Greet!

Declan Meagher - Marie Moore (PA) with Braedan Mahoney, Lucas Hu

Patrick Mello, Griffin Wilkins and twins Aidan and Alex Boni from Harney (MA)

Kassie Seavy and Nicole Greco from Gilleoghan (CT) at awards Sunday

Hannah Lewis and Angela-Marie Conklinfrom Murray (NH)

Feis America on Irish Central has been expressly prohibited from posting live commentary and real-time results by the Irish Dance Teachers Association of North America. Follow live at www.nanationals.net and stay tuned here for fun and photos all week long!

Subscribe to Feis America, North America’s favorite Irish dancing magazine, and get 100% North American Irish dancing news delivered to your mailbox!

Irish Dance as a Family Passion with National Champions

"Grandma Jane" with Megan Ferrara

from Harney (MA)

Sisters and dancers Abbey, Berkley and Tinsley Griffin from Glor na Daire (GA)
Grandmother Jean Mullane with Godley siblings Orla, Sinead and Grace
from Mullane-Healy-Godley (IL)

Future Champion Dancer with her doting Feis Daddy

Drew Lovejoy with mom Andee

from McGing (OH)

Anyone remotely familiar with a champion Irish dancer knows that it’s a family passion! This makes sense given the strong cultural ties the Diaspora has to Ireland, and the nature of the Irish family. Many Irish dance schools have multiple siblings in class, and every feis offers a ‘family cap’ for registration and competition fees. Whether it’s one of the famous families we’ve featured on a Feis America cover, or one flying under the radar until we see them on stage together, it means a commitment by everyone in the family when a dancer or two is a champion.

Enjoy these photos of some of the siblings and parents at the North American Irish Dance Championships in Nashville!


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North American Irish Dance Championships boys under 8 and 9 top five

Aidan & Alex Boni, Griffin Wilkins, Patrick Mello, Luca Hu, Braedan Mahoney from Harney (MA) and Declan Meager from Marie Moore (NJ) hanging out at the fountain with Feis America!

Ryan Wexler, Luke Voelkel, Jake Garman, Colm Alba and Matt Garman
from Nashville Irish Step Dancers (TN) sporting their NAN 2011 cheerwear!

Greetings from the 2011 American Irish Dancing Championships in Nashville! Yesterday’s events included solo competitions for Senior Ladies, Girls under 13, Girls under 17, Boys under 8, Boys under 9.

Top Five Results for Boys under 8 and under 9… Congratulations!

Boys under 8:
1-Ronan O’Brien from Anthony Costello (Ireland)
2-Peter Mildrew from Boyle (Southern US)
3-Joey Marino from Rince na Tiarna (NY)
4-Daniel Callahan from Lynn (CT/NY)
5-Declan Mangan from Leneghan (Mid America)

Boys under 9:
1-Collin Mountain from Richens Timm (Mid America)
2-Liam Webber from Mulvihill-Lynch (NY)
3-Jude Flurry from Muggivan (Southern US)
4-Ronan Burke from Shea-Jennings (NY)
5-Jacob Parkman from Harney (MA)

Feis America has been expressly prohibited from publishing real-time results or live commentary, but will post information once results are publicly available. For full results and updates in real-time, visit www.nanationals.net/2011.

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photos copyright Feis America LLC 2011

Boston Irish Fest: Harney Academy Dancers

Miranda Mahoney, Kit Birch, Kaitlin Concannon, Ciara Hernon, MichaelAnn White and Clara Dionis from the Harney Academy dressed and ready to dance! Photo: Feis America LLC

Harney Academy of Irish Dancing put on a great show at the Boston Irish Festival today!

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