The Kerryman (North Kerry)

Best foot forward for Ballymac GAA on a night of nights

- By FERGUS DENNEHY

THE Ballymac GAA ‘Strictly Love Dancing’ team wanted their event to bow out in style on Saturday – and they well and truly achieved just that.

This was the final year of the club’s ‘Strictly Love Dancing’ and, by jove, did the Ballymac community come out in force to show its support on the night.

Dancers had been in training for the showpiece event for six long weeks, and their hard word was duly appreciate­d judging by the rapturous applause from the audience as the dancers emerged for the opening group performanc­e.

“It was an absolutely fantastic night. It was a sell-out, and the Ballymac community came out in their droves to support us. They were fantastic,” Noelle O’Brien said.

“None of the dancers came in and had experience, and so they had to learn all this from day one. To their credit, though, the technique they showed was some of the best we’ve seen.”

The hardest part of these nights, always, is choosing the winners, and again on Saturday, both the public and the judges had a difficult choice to make.

Ultimately, though, the public vote went to the hugely popular pairing of Diarmuid Lynch and Julie Deane, with Noelle revealing that a sprinkling of Holy Water on some of Diarmuid’s voting cards may have been the difference!

The judges’ vote then was given to the pair described by Noelle as the “hardest working” dancers she’s ever met, as Katelyn Galvin and James O’Mahony deservedly named as winners on the night.

A vital fundraiser for the club, all the money raised from this year’s final event will go towards helping the club to build additional dressing rooms for the club’s up and coming juvenile teams.

For now, though, its wellearned rest time for the dancers and co!

 ?? All photos by Fergus Dennehy. ?? Dancers from the 2019 Ballymac GAA ‘Strictly Love Dancing’, which was held in the Ballygarry House Hotel on Saturday night. Dancers Pat and Annette pictured showing off their moves at the 2019 Strictly Love Dancing in Ballygarry on Saturday night.
All photos by Fergus Dennehy. Dancers from the 2019 Ballymac GAA ‘Strictly Love Dancing’, which was held in the Ballygarry House Hotel on Saturday night. Dancers Pat and Annette pictured showing off their moves at the 2019 Strictly Love Dancing in Ballygarry on Saturday night.
 ??  ?? LEFT: Maura, Michelle and Niamh Lynch; Raymond Lowe; and Phyllis McLoughlin pictured showing their support at the Ballymac GAA Strictly Love Dancing on Saturday night.
LEFT: Maura, Michelle and Niamh Lynch; Raymond Lowe; and Phyllis McLoughlin pictured showing their support at the Ballymac GAA Strictly Love Dancing on Saturday night.
 ??  ?? ABOVE: Ella, Maggie, Sinead and Diarmuid Scanlon pictured enjoying themselves at the 2019 Ballymac Strictly Love Dancing on Saturday night.
ABOVE: Ella, Maggie, Sinead and Diarmuid Scanlon pictured enjoying themselves at the 2019 Ballymac Strictly Love Dancing on Saturday night.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Ireland