Reigning all-Ireland champions, St Joseph’s set dancers, with their mentor Thomas Pettit following their success in the 15-18 full set ladies competition last year.

Set dancing at this year's fleadh

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Set dancing plays an integral part in the culture of Irish music and dance and this year’s fleadh will be a bumper week of events for set dancing enthusiasts.

Westmeath holds a reputation as one of the country’s leading set dancing counties and it has 15 local sets flying the flag in both the junior and senior categories.

Dancers will be hoping to claim all-Ireland glory, some for the first time and many will be going in the hunt for another medal to add to their collections.

The competitions are taking place in Loreto College on Friday August 11 and Saturday 12 August. It’s not all about the competition, and set dancing céilithe are being held in Gaelscoil an Mhuillinn throughout the week.

The Glenside Céilí band kicked off the week of dancing on the opening Sunday night. On Wednesday night the Brian Boru Ceili band will provide the music and the Legacy Ceili band will be performing on Saturday night. Local group Rise the Dust will be playing on the Friday and Sunday nights.

Closing out the fleadh with a farewell Céilí on Monday August 14 is music supremo Matt Cunningham.

For those who would like to try their hand at set dancing for the first time or brush up on some of their moves, there will be two set dancing workshops this year. The workshops are being held in the Mullingar Town Band premises, the Bandhall, and starting at 10am each day. Streamstown set dancers are hosting the first workshop on Wednesday, August 9, and Ballynacargy Comhaltas are holding the second on Thursday, August 9.

Grab your dancing shoes and enjoy one of our oldest traditions.

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