LEITRIM DANCE FESTIVAL

9 - 12 April 2026

Programme

THURSDAY 9TH April

FREE EVENT 10.30am - 12pm – Meitheal at the Market with musicians and dancers

FREE EVENT 9pm - Cryan’s Teach Ceoil Dance Session

FRIDAY 10TH April

8pm - Dance Dialects Concert – The Dock Arts Centre

Featuring new work by:

Aoife McCabe & Piaras Ó Lorcáin

Brian O'Brien & David Munnelly

Caoimhe Mulligan & Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin

Alice Cade & Stephen Doherty

August Kirwin & Ultan O'Brien

Ava Glancy & Méabh Ní Bheaglaoich

Bethan Marsh & Seamas Hyland

Ellen Langton & Sharon Howley

FREE EVENT 9pm - Cryan’s Teach Ceoil Dance Session

SATURDAY 11TH April

10 - 1pm A demonstration on how to make your own set of wooden taps.
Workshop with artist and carpenter Charlie Perpoil at his studio at Drumcoura, Co. Leitrim
You’ll have your own set of wooden taps to bring home and adjust yourself to suit your shoes.

10 – 12.30pm Workshop with Joe MCGuiggan in Old Style Irish Step Dance at The Dock, Carrick on Shannon

FREE EVENT 1pm Miss Mary at The Market Yard, Carrick on Shannon

Miss Mary is an Irish tradition which no longer exists.
An outdoor solo dance, created and performed by Kristyn Fontanella, Miss Mary traces the footsteps of migrating Irish dance masters. Traveling through parks and fields, embodying the land and its stories, she arrives at a gathering of people, she invites them to exchange and listen.

She asks them:

Where did you come from? How do you move? Will you dance with me?

Miss Mary gathers ancestors, nostalgia and community, sharing the stories that live within us all.

1.30 – 4pm Workshop with Christy Mac Gearailt in West Kerry Set Dancing at The Dock, Carrick on Shannon

8pm BALL NIGHTS at The Dock, Carrick on Shannon

Irish traditional arts and culture have been lovingly passed down through generations, sustained by the vibrant custom of country house dancing, known as bothántaíocht, oícheanta airneáil, or as it is often known in West Kerry, “Ball Nights”. This cherished tradition brought neighbours together to share music, song, dance, and storytelling. Today, this rich legacy continues to thrive in Corca Dhuibhne, where music, poetry, and visual art blend seamlessly, connecting generations past and present.

Ball Nights is a new production led by the celebrated West Kerry band Cuas, alongside the dynamic dancers of Seit Chorca Dhuibhne, poet Dairena Ní Chinnéide, and artist Domhnall Ó Bric. Together, they breathe fresh life into these community traditions. Audiences across Ireland will experience first-hand the wild energy and distinctive spirit of West Kerry — singing songs, joining the dancing, and becoming part of an immersive celebration of place and culture.

This 90-minute, multi-disciplinary performance features energetic slides and polkas, timeless traditional songs that span centuries, and captivating waltzes that invite audience participation. Art and poetry inspired by the five figures of Seit Chorca Dhuibhne are seamlessly interwoven, creating a rich tapestry of storytelling through sound, movement, and image.

FREE EVENT 9pm - Cryan’s Teach Ceoil Dance Session