Mullingar dancers prepare for #TheHomecoming Fleadh as Leinster champions

These dancers from Mullingar Comhaltas were getting another practice session in at Mullingar Arts Centre yesterday evening ahead of their appearance at the Fleadh Cheoil next Saturday.

The will compete in their home town as Leinster champions in Over 18 Ladies Figure Dancing.

They won the county title at the Westmeath Fleadh in Ballymore in May, and went on to take the Leinster title in Portlaoise in early July.

Four of the dancers also came second in the 4-Hand Céilí Dancing, Ladies O18, and will also compete in Mullingar.

Their tutors are Mary Doolin and Patsy Rylands, and the dancers are Aileen Duffy, Zoe Collins, Mary-Jo Geraghty, Una Fagan, Maura Buckley, Sheila Marie Martin, Kim Darby and Rachel Cornally (who was working when these photos were taken); also included in the photo below is Aoife, Una's daughter.

Mullingar Comhaltas also danced as Leinster champions at the Fleadh Cheoil in Sligo, and this year they are Leinster champions in Scór, but the all-Ireland finals have not yet been held, due to uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Westmeath Examiner met up with the group to get photos for the special Fleadh Cheoil edition of the paper, out on Tuesday, and we had a bit of a laugh trying to get the right shot!