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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Dargan sisters Claim North American Irish Dancing Championships again

Fiona Dargan defends her North American Irish Dancing Championship!

Photo: Feis America LLC 2011

Fiona Dargan from Rince na Tiarna in New York defended her title as the 2010 North American National Irish Dancing Champion for Girls under 14a on Tuesday, July 5, 2011 in Nashville, Tennessee. Fiona holds the 2008 World, All-Ireland and North American National Irish Dancing Championship titles for her age group.

Earlier the same week, Kevinah Dargan claimed her fourth North American title for Girls under 17a. In 2005, Kevinah was the youngest North American dancer ever to win the World Irish Dancing Championships.

The sisters are the children of Kevin, who was born in Derry and raised in Dublin, and Tracy, whose parents are also from Dublin. Both girls also excel academically and at extracurricular activities such as violin and intramural sports in Williamsville, New York. They are involved in the community and active in Saints Peter and Paul Church.

The Dargan siblings have studied Irish dancing with Mary Kay Heneghan ADCRG, founder ofRince na Tiarna School of Irish Dance in New York, since age four. Heneghan's parents are also Irish: Thomas from Kilmaine, County Mayo and Mary Breen Heneghan from Kilmihil, County Clare. Prior to founding her own school in 1986, Mary Kay taught for the internationally-renowned Trinity Irish Dance Academy in Chicago, Illinois.

Feis America was expressly prohibited from providing real-time results and live commentary at the 2011 North American Irish Dancing Championships by the Irish Dance Teachers Association of North America. For complete results, visit www.nanationals.net.

Feis America magazine is dedicated exclusively to North American Irish dancing and celebrates its dancers, teachers, performers and families bi-monthly with an acclaimed editorial platform and rich photojournalism. Subscribe today and get full NAIDC coverage in the September/October 2011 issue.