The Ancient History of Irish Dancing

Though it is often seen as one of Ireland’s main exports (along with Westlife, U2, Guinness, Murphy’s, Baileys and an assortment of other alcoholic beverages), the history of Irish dancing stretches back to a tribe of Celtic origins known as the Gaels who colonised much of western Europe between the 5th and 3rd century B.C.

Whilst, like many other European tribes at the time, the Gaels established themselves across the continent, they ventured further than most and eventually found themselves on the shores of the Emerald Isle; the place where Gaelic roots would forever reach the deepest.

Before being converted to mainstream Christianity by St. Patrick in the 5th century A.D. the Gaels had established over 150 small kingdoms on the island and, although little is known about Irish (or Gaelic) dances during this period, surviving artworks dating to this time have provided a major influence on contemporary Irish Dance costumes.

Perhaps the most influential Celtic/Christian art is widely acclaimed to be that dating back to the 7th and 8th centuries A.D. and may still be seen today in the form of intricately intertwined geometric designs instantly recognisable as being of Celtic origin.
Although much of the literature concerning the history of Irish Dancing dating to this time was destroyed by Vikings on their numerous raids of the island, one thing is certain; a large portion of Gaelic culture at this stage (800 A.D. to 1000 A.D.) was devoted to music and dance.

For instance, the Feisianna, an amalgamation of trade, political and cultural gathering, may be traced back to this period.
Whilst originally centred around political and trade aspect, the Feisianna gradually evolved to become a cultural event encompassing art, music and even sporting events.
These days, Feisianna (Feis) are musical and dance events (competitions) which still involve arts, crafts and trade (in the shape of art & craft vendors).

The history of Irish Dancing records a number of distinct dances which had evolved by around 1550 A.D.
These included the Trenchmore* and Rinnce Fada** which featured the characteristically fast Irish tempo.
*A large-scale free-form country dance
** A line dance with two groups of dancers facing each other

During the 1750s, Irish dancing saw the introduction of the ‘Dance Master’, a sort of wandering dance teacher who would travel from village to village, usually stopping around six weeks in each to teach the art of dance to the local population at whatever venue presented itself.
The most common dances for novice students to learn were the reel and the jig, graduating to more complex dances and steps* as time and talent progressed.
Dance Masters tended to be multi-talented individuals, often boasting a variety of skills for hire to local villagers.
*The term ‘step dancing’ is derived from the fact that eight bars of music are referred to as a step.

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