WATCH: Local Irish Dancers Relish World Championship

They aren’t yet 10 years old, and eight area girls can already call themselves world champions.

The group from Lavin Cassidy School of Irish Dancing recently returned from the in Dublin toting a silver cup and the world title.

The win topped off a season packed with success—including a regional championship called the Oireachtas, and a national championship.

The group competition—Girls Under 11 Ceili—pitted the local girls against Irish dancers from around the world. While the team has captured their regional title each time they’ve competed together, this win meant more.  To celebrate, the dancers sipped orange soda from the cup—followed by the parents, with champagne.  

“I am incredibly pleased,” said the school’s founder Ann Lavin-Cassidy. “We’ve taken a lot of teams to Ireland, and we’ve been successful in that we’ve placed second numerous times, but this is the first time we’ve taken first.”

Established by Palos area resident Ann Lavin-Cassidy, the school offers Irish dance instruction at all skill levels—from beginner to championship—for both solo to team dancing. The main facility is located in Worth, with additional classes held at Gaelic Park in Oak Forest. The championship team includes members from Oak Forest, Palos Heights, Mokena, Chicago Ridge, Oak Lawn, and Chicago.

The team practices as often as five days a week, in two- to three-hour sessions to prepare for competitions. For some, the work doesn’t stop in the studio, with extra practice time logged at home.

“Irish dancing has gotten very, very competitive. It’s global,” said Lavin-Cassidy. “We’re all over Europe, Australia, New Zealand, all over the states, Canada, far reaches of Asia.

“It’s no longer enough just to be talented. You have to be talented, and you have to work hard if you want to achieve results at regional and national competitions.”

Irish dancers start between the ages of 4 and 7 years old, and many tweak the skill until college, Lavin-Cassidy said.

“It’s something that I can do my best in, other than sports,” said dancer Niamh Byrne.

The girls, who call themselves a family, bond through long hours of practice, travel and outside activity. Dancing fosters a sense of devotion and commitment not typically seen in other hobbies or sports, Lavin-Cassidy said.

““When you get to that kind of a level where you are dancing that many days, it’s a type of dedication, that you’re dealing with the type of children with the same type of work ethic.,” she said. “You’ve got very dedicated people who realize this is a good group of people for their children to be associated with.”

Dancer Niamh Byrne loves the discipline needed for dancing.

“I like how the teachers, they push us. Because they know that we want to win, and they want us to win,“ Byrne said. I’ll keep dancing until I have to quit.”

Catch the team's performances at on March 17, at 8 p.m., or at on March 16 and 17.

Congratulations to the dancers
Flynn Hartigan (Oak Forest), Alyssa Hoban (Palos Heights), Niamh Byrne (Palos Heights), Anna and Olivia McMahon (Mokena), Karen Folan (Chicago Ridge), Kaylee Lopereno (Oak Lawn), and Caroline Docherty (Chicago).