Emerald Lakes Academy make history at world championships
The Emerald Lakes Academy made history at the WIDA International and World Irish Dance Championships at the INEC Arena in Killarney and placed Rochfortbridge, Mullingar and Rathangan at the heart of Irish dancing.
Their dancers took wins in Open Solo Championships, Team Championships, Show Irish Dance Drama Championships and Premierships, and their back to back wins have put Kevin Lyster’s dance academy in the number one spot on the medal table of more than 100 schools from 26 countries, including Australia, Canada, USA, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, England, Scotland, Russia, Belarus, Hong Kong, Hungary and Ukraine.
Emerald Lakes are known for their theatrical Irish dance pieces and at this year’s world championships, they entered two teams of 20 dancers – and they claimed first and second places. Marco Trigo-Lyster and Siobhan Marshall led one team, and Marilyn Loran and Makayla Kennedy led the other. One school has never before taken the first two places at such an event.
The success continued as Ava Loran took the world title at U20, making her a two time world champion. Ava’s mother Marilyn was second in the O45 category, pushing the Swiss champion all the way in four rounds of dancing.
Zofia Bielicka came out on top in U17s and retained her world crown with an outstanding performance. Blaithín Stenson was second in a tight championship fight dominated by Emerald Lakes. Rachel Doyle took the U42 world title and Kayah Daly was fourth in the U16s. Kayleigh Strickland also made the podium in fifth place after four impressive rounds of dancing.
Evelyn Page and Ciara Doyle impressed with fourth places in their championships and Diana Wakefield and Emma Pierce also made the podium in fifth place. Amy Devaney, Katie Martin and Alba Trigo-Lyster made their own history by making the recall in Open Championship, while Brianna Fitzgerald impressed and made world recalls two years running.
Holly Walshe and Eimear Wakefield made it to the final, and Martina Foley and Theresa Alridge’s traditional style also took them into the final shake-up.
Martina Scully, Aisling Scully, Claire Fagan, Ryan Brogan, Leila Trigo-Lyster, Luca Trigo Lyster, Marco Trigo Lyster, Breda Donoghue, Evie Scally, Holly Walhe, Eimear Wakefield, Diana Wakefield, Eva Pike, Ella Long, Holly Martin all made it to the premiership podiums.
The U12 Ceili Team impressed as Molly Nea, Layla Scally, Emily Murray, Ryan Brogan, Emma Gove, Leila Trigo Lyster, Maria Keating, Caoimhe Marshall, Maddison McGauran and Vanessa Farrelly took second place.
Niamh McDermott, with Blaithín Stenson, Katie Martin, Ciara Doyle, Rachel Doyle and Emma Pierce, also impressed in the trad set championships.
The Emerald Lakes Worlds Team 2023: Marco Trigo-Lyster, Alba Trigo-Lyster, Aisling Scully, Luca Trigo-Lyster, Aisling Taylor, Louise Pierce, Leila Trigo-Lyster, Blaithín Stenson, Martina Scully, Holly Walshe, Amy Devaney, Emma Pierce, Aoife McCormack, Kayleigh Strickland, Aishling Burke, Lauren Gove, Katie Martin, Deirdre McCormack, Emma Gove, Neabhae McDermott, Breda Donoghue, Aoife Quinn, Makayla Kennedy, Lorraine Donoghue, Cailin Sheridan, Zofia Bielicka, Diana Wakefield, Ryan Brogan, Kaylah Daly, Theresa Aldridge, Evie Scally, Vanessa Farrelly, Siobhan Farrelly, Clodagh Wakefield, Martina Foley, Layla Scally, Brianna Fitzgerald, Rachel Doyle, Emily Murray, Romy Sheahan, Marilyn Loran, Maddison McGauran, Ava Loran, Sarah Loran, Sarah Devaney, Ciara Doyle, Holly Martin, Claire Fagan, Siobhan Marshall, Mary Jones, Caoimhe Marshall, Evelyn Page, Molly Nea, Eva Pike, Amelia Palmer, Cillian Palmer, Maria Keating, Eimear Wakefield and Ella Long.
Emerald Lakes have made huge ground in Irish dancing in their 14-year history and are now one of the most formidable groups in the world.
Much of the work at Emerald Lakes is done on a voluntary basis and that enables the education of tradition of music and dance in Westmeath and Kildare.
The home of Emerald Lakes is Rochfortbridge and its epicentre of activity for members is in Rochfortbridge, Mullingar and Rathangan. Kevin Lyster, founder and chairperson of Emerald Lakes TTC Group, is hugely proud and honoured by the success of the school, which he says could not be done without their team of Elaine Long, Marilyn Loran, Ciara Doyle and Rachel Doyle.
Kevin added: “The Parent Costume Team have been central to our shows and look, while Rochfortbridge Community Centre and Ray McDonnell of Mullingar Charity Variety Group have been hugely supportive in facilitating rehearsals and classes.
“The level of unity, support and commitment of the team of dancers and the families of Emerald Lakes are a huge factor in our success.
“The effort, work and drive to push out performances at a post-Covid World Championships was worth every minute as we now have amazing memories that we will carry for life.”
Emerald Lakes is unique in its offer to dancers of all ages and this has been proven on a world stage. Their commitment to team, theatrical and solo dancing at the 2023 Worlds with their Team Lakers showed true Emerald Lakes spirit over the near week-long event at the INEC.