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Irish dancers in Valley get their kicks on St. Pat’s Day
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Walter Sweeney, 7, of Canfield and Mary Kate Kelty , 7, of Poland are among the younger dancers in the Burke school of Irish Step dancing.
YOUNGSTOWN — Energetic crowds keep the feet of dancers from the Burke School of Irish Dance moving on St. Patrick’s Day.
“It’s the excitement,” said Lauren Kepley, 16, of Canfield.
“And the crowds especially, they get so into us; it makes us happy,” she said noting that O’Donold’s in Austintown and Lanigan’s in New Castle, Pa., are her two favorite spots to dance.
Kepley and fellow dancers from the Youngstown branch of the Burke School will dance today at more than 15 venues in the Mahoning Valley.
They’ll start at 6 a.m. with a kegs-and-eggs feature at O’Donold’s in Austintown and end after 9:30 p.m., said Mimi Kerrigan, president of the school’s Youngstown location.
St. Paddy’s Day is a special time for the dancers because, Kerrigan said, “There’s no competition, so they can cut loose and have fun.”
The dancers from Burke perform year-round for weddings, private parties, competitions and even half-way to St. Paddy’s Day events in September. But this week, their schedule is jam-packed with Irish-filled festivities.
“This is their best time of year, because there’s no pressure,” said Kathy Loomis of Canfield, who has two daughters, Erin, 14, and Kerra, 12, performing.
“They won’t be able to walk afterwards, but they’ll have a great time dancing,” Loomis said.
“We won’t be able to walk either,” Kerrigan said, laughing.
Breanne Donoghue, 17, of Boardman would normally be taping up her toes with the rest of the dancers after St. Paddy’s, but she’ll be part of the crowd this year.
Donoghue broke her leg playing soccer and said it will be the second time she’s had to miss out because of a broken leg.
“I broke it last year at O’Donald’s, a couple days before St. Patrick’s Day,” she said.
Donoghue has been dancing since she was about 4 years old.
“It’s so much fun,” she said noting that watching her friends will be a good time too.
Picking a favorite part of all the Irish celebrations was difficult for Mimi Kerrigan’s daughter, Christine Kerrigan, 14, of Youngstown.
But she finally concluded that “the parade is the best part,” she said.
Even though some parades have been on 75-degree days or snowy days, Christine said, “I think it’s amazing.”
The Burke float adorned with wooden shamrocks and Irish dancer silhouettes was a hit at the 31st annual Mahoning Valley St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Sunday, Kerrigan said. The group won Best of Parade.
“The girls were delighted,” she said.
“I told them, ‘You think Youngstown is dead, you come to this parade,’ ” Kerrigan said.
Although the parade is Christine’s favorite, the bar and pub scenes are enjoyable as well, she said.
“It’s so fun, because everybody watches you, the music is loud and you get everybody hyped,” she said.
>A list of performances by the dancers can be found at this link.