Emerald Lakes dancers bring all-Ireland titles home to Rochfortbridge
Rochfortbridge was celebrating last week, after Blaithin Stenson of the Emerald Lakes Academy was crowned 2022 All Ireland Champion at the WIDA All Ireland Championships held at the Victory Centre at the Church of Scientology in Tallaght, Dublin.
Blaithin competed in the U16 Open Championship against stiff opposition from competitors from all over Ireland, Scotland, Germany and the USA.
The WIDA All Ireland 2022 was a special event as it was the first All Ireland to be held post-Covid.
Emerald Lakes Team dancers excelled on stage on both days and took great wins in 2 hands and 3 hands.
Their U17 Ceili Championship Team made a cautious return to the stage, but Makayla Kennedy, Neabhae McDermott, Alba Trigo-Lyster, Brianna Fitzgerald, Katie Martin, Zofia Bielicka, Blaithin Stenson and Amy Devaney stepped it out with the 8 Hand Jig and took fifth place.
Almost 40 members of the Emerald Lakes Academy of Irish Dance and TTC Group were present at the Dublin venue and their victories included U9 dancer Marco Trigo-Lyster in the Primary Premiership.
Martina Scully took the Premiership in the Adult Section title.
Rachel Doyle continued her winning streak in the Open Championship Adult section as she became national, world and all-Ireland champion after a series of historic back to back wins.
The Emerald Lakes Academy of Irish Dance and TTC Group under the leadership of Kevin Lyster and his team including Philip Hynes, Marilyn Loran, Ciara Doyle and Rachel Doyle have again impressed on the national stage for Westmeath, ensuring the county remains a centre point for traditional, team and theatrical Irish dance.
Well done and congratulations to all at Emerald Lakes for bringing so much joy and positivity to the region.
The dancers
Bradley, Chloe
Brogan, Ryan
Clear, Chloe
Cully, Melissa
Rachel Doyle
Devaney, Amy
Haugh, Sophie
Jones, Mary
Keating, Maria
Kennedy, Makayla
Long, Ella
Martin, Holly
Martin, Katie
McDermott, Neabhae
Morris, Isabelle
Murray, Emily
Nea, Molly
Page, Evelyn
Palmer, Amelia
Pierce, Emma
Pierce, Louise
Quinn, Aoife
Scully, Aisling
Scully, Martina
Trigo-Lyster, Alba
Trigo-Lyster, Leila
Trigo-Lyster, Luca
Maddison McGauran
Zofia Bielicka
Blaithin Stenson
Brianna Fitzgerald
Clodagh Wakefield
Eimear Wakefield
Diana Wakefield
Holly Walshe
Faith Ward
Lorna Ward
Deirdre McCormack
Aoife McCormack