Spectacular Saturday by Joe OBrien Lanesboro/Ballyleague Local News The weekend started off with Black Friday and is finishing with Cyber Monday and for the people of the Lanesboro and Ballyleague areas there was most definitely ‘Spectacular Saturday’. Never before had the clubs of St. Faithleach’s and Rathcline come together in such a joint venture. When chairmen Gerald Farrell and Derek Thompson discussed a venture between the two clubs they did not do anything by half nor were found wanting. Strictly Come Dancing ‘Over the Bridge’ sponsored by Lanesboro Ballyleague Credit Union and Munnelly Support Services was born. Derek and Gerald appointed six others to work with them in the execution of this historic feat – Helen Kelly, Janice Smyth, John Casey, Pat Connerton, Brenda Reynolds and Lorraine Farrell and what a job they did. Strictly Come Dancing ‘Over the Bridge’ was now born and work began in getting a venue and dancers all to be of top quality. A wonderful testament to the community was that there was so much talent willing to participate in this historic event. They were sacrificing their time and energies over a seven week period to make this night a very special one. To give so much of their time in preparation and then to go onstage and perform their dance routine to a packed house of almost 900 people shows their dedication and their willingness to support their own and their neighbouring community. To say that they were brilliant would most definitely be an understatement. We as a community can only stand and applaud each and every one of the dancers and the committee and the workers who contributed so much to a wonderful occasion in a wonderful location The Radisson Blu, Athlone. The night commenced with, local publican, Steve Ormsby and Caroline O’Reilly, a nurse in Innis Ree Lodge performing a Quickstep. They were followed by Ken Madden, a local garda, stationed in Carrick on Shannon and Geraldine Hanly, Lisnacusha, one of the loyal Rathcline lady footballers who danced Jazz. Brendan (Happy) Ward from the famous Ward family, The Green was the partner for An Post lady, Rita Mc Cormack, married to Pat who captained Rathcline to their only championship victory and they danced to the Disco beat. Alan Fayne a stage veteran from many appearances on the Shannon Gaels Search for a Star partnered stage newcomer and excellent dancer Martina Healy (nee Kinlan) who danced to the sound of Country Rock. Fidelma Brennan, a Garda in Longford whose hill walking skills kept her in the beat with her partner John Coffey, Rathcline Road who performed with numerous show bands in years gone by, they danced the Tango. Rachael Collins the current secretary for Ballyleague and Cloontagh National schools was partnered by a man who loves to dance two and three times a week Michael Carroll and they performed the Ballroom Waltz. Claire Egan (nee Fayne), living in Cashel but a native of Rathcline joined Gerry Nerney, a driving force behind the upcoming club draw for “Bella” the heifer. Both Gerry and Claire are avid dancers and the Bossanova proved to be no problem to them. The final dances of the first half of the show was probably the youngest pair in Caoilfhionn Thompson, a member of the famous Thompson family so long stalwarts of St. Faithleach’s and Aaron Madden, a talented and nifty corner forward who brought his fleet footedness to the Hip Hop dance routine they performed. The second half began with a bang with two charismatic characters dancing the Jive, Brendan O’Sullivan another with many years of stage experience including one as Tina Turner and Helen O’Donnell (nee Banahan) who is hugely involved in St. Faithleach’s and is always full of exuberance. Ollie Trimble another avid and light footed dancer was joined on stage by mother of six and always the personification of happiness Colette Wyse (nee Magan) who danced Musical Theatre excellently. Lee Cullen always known as an excellent goalkeeper ensured that the lively and energetic and exceptional Jodie Horohoe was in safe hands while dancing the Cha Cha. Contemporary Dancing was left to the barefooted Patrice Nolan a very lively dancer who is equally adept on the stage as she is on the playing field and James Quigley, another member of the Gardaí whose footwork on the field for St. Faithleach’s ensured his ability to move very lively with Patrice. James’s sisters are All Ireland winning dancers so he had many teachers. The Charlston was performed by two great characters namely Adie’s very popular bar worker who is always in great humour and her partner Padraig Murray. Padraig a loyal servant to St. Faithleach’s always gives everything in his quest for perfection. Michelle Killian (nee Collins) daughter of the famous drummer Peadar and Darragh Hussey, son of Pat, both inherited all the musical attributes and movement of their musical families, Darragh’s uncles Jimmy and Sean Hussey and Michelle’s father Peadar Collins danced what was a highly acclaimed performance of the Salsa. The final dancers brought, despite his young age, another stage veteran from Stars in their eyes and Scór na nÓg Daithi Mulvihill and Ursula Kilcoyne (nee Kenny), a member of the Gardaí who is highly involved in the Mothers and Others football in St. Faithleach. They brought dancing down with a mighty performance creating even greater headaches for the celebrity judges. It was unfair that there had to be a winner on the night as each dancing couple was as good as the next and their performances were to be seen to be believed but there had to be a winner and by the minutest of percentages the winners were Padraig Murray and Susan Linnane. Before I go on we must pay a special word of credit to two fabulous seamstresses in Mary Kenny and Maureen Fitzsimons who did a wonderful job in all of the outfits for all the dancers. It was an incredible performance by both ladies. Willie Hegarty was an excellent of MC on the night and Willie in his own inimitable way played a blinder as he usually does each Sunday when he commentates for Shannonside. The celebrity judges were actress, Aisling O’Sullivan, who was often seen on our TV screens in the RTÉs Raw and The Clinic where she played leading roles and also on the big screen in Butcher Boy, Six Shooter and Snap. She is a familiar face in all the theatre plays on a very regular basis. Another of the judges will be long remembered for excellent performances, not on stage but on the hurling pitches of Ireland. Ollie Baker a winner of two All-Ireland medals with Clare and one club All-Ireland with his club Doora Barefield. Ollie, like in his hurling days was not afraid to pull the punches much to the chagrin of some of the audience but his warms affable manner had them soon eating out of his hand. The final judge of the night was local man and now Maynooth auctioneer Eamon O’Flaherty. Eamonn admitted that his medal collection was won on the pool tables in the Community College under the tutorship of Joe Rooney. He admitted in his programme comments (tongue in cheek) that he had some difficult with Intermediate team management – Adie Farrell and Tommy Donohoe hence his departure from the club to Maynooth. Eamon proved to be a humorous judge. The quality of the night would not have been possible without Lorraine Wynne’s Midland Drama School who along with her assistants Magda and Rebecca performed wonders in creating an exceptional night of dancing and stage performance. Her work cannot be understated in making all the dancers so comfortable on stage. To learn to dance is one thing but to be so comfortable in performing in front of such a huge audience is a wonderful craft in itself. Speaking to one of the dancers who would have a good bit of stage experience on Sunday he told me that he never felt anything like Saturday night and even 14 hours on the buzz of the achievement was still going through his body – something he never experience before. It speaks volumes for Choreographer Lisa and her team, the dancers and also for the audience who were loud in their support for all the dancers. The support each dancer and both clubs received in sponsorship was utterly fantastic and it shows how the unification of the two clubs for Saturday night meant so much to so many people when sponsorship was given by so many. Some sponsors are still coming on board which is a wonderful thing for both clubs. I hope when both Gerald and Derek reflect on the wonderful success of Saturday night they will put together another night next year to equal what we witnessed on Saturday night last. My apologies for going on so much about the night but when something as fantastic and wonderful as this hits our community it really is worth telling everyone about it. Long may our communities develop and prosper and Saturday night is a night to feel rightly proud of being from the parishes of Rathcline and Kilgefin.
Posted on: Mon, 01 Dec 2014 14:32:15 +0000
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