The show was billed as “The Young Irelanders” but two Villages’ colleens crashed the Savannah Center stage Saturday, jigging with the kids on an Irish brush dance.
Sandi Madsen and Mary Cochran found themselves center stage before a raucous crowed doing the brush dance – with a couple of push brooms as props. Earlier, the talented, youthful performers who make up The Young Irelanders asked for a couple of volunteer dancers.
And before you could say, “too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ra,” Madsen and Cochran took the pledge and put on their dancing shoes.
“I loved being up there,” said Madsen, who lives in The Village of Duval and will be traveling to Ireland in a couple of weeks. “There’s something about Irish music that gets you moving. It can be happy, but it also can be very sad.”
Mary Cochran lives in Amelia and belongs to an Irish dancing club in The Villages. “It was great being up there, I felt right at home,” she said. “I love doing the jigs and reels, and dancing to Irish music.”
But the real stars of this Irish gathering were the youthful performers on stage.
Watch video of the performance here:
https://youtu.be/MlJuR8ZD0sc
Niamh Farrell, charming Irish lass, created angelic tones on such numbers as “Danny Boy,” “In My Father’s House” and “Liberty’s Sweet Shores.” She seemed reverently inspired on the Gaelic song, “Mo Ghile Mear (My Gallant Darling).”
The rest of the performers, like Farrell, were mostly in their 20s and 30s. The line-up includes: Kieran Munnelly, flute/vocals; Colin Farrell, fiddle; Damien Mullane, accordion; Stephen Markham, keyboards and Sean O’Meara on guitar.
Also in the group are a couple of immensely talented dancers: Siobhan Manson and Joe Duffey.
All of them represent a new generation of Irish performers keeping the musical and dancing tradition alive, while adding a contemporary feel to it.
Such tradition carries more meaning this year, which marks the 100thanniversary of the Irish Uprising in 1916 that eventually led to independence.
“We’re trying to bring Irish tradition to a more modern audience,” said Michaella McMahon, road manager for The Young Irelanders. “Young people in Ireland are aware of their history and what this year means as the anniversary of the Uprising.”
But these young performers aren’t on a historical mission. “We just love to play this music,” said Damien Mullane. He once performed with Sting, an international star, who started with the Police.
“Sting was great to perform with,” Mullane said. “He has a real appreciation for authentic Irish music.”
So do the Young Irelanders.
Mullane played the accordion at a torrid pace while Colin Farrell on fiddle, was playing so fast he could have earned a ticket for speeding.
Manson and Duffey supplied the dancing. She has performed in “Riverdance” while Duffey was part of “Lord of the Dance” with Michael Flatley. Both were in vintage form on stage making the old Irish dances new again.
The audience shared that tradition and sang along and clapped to the beat on many of the songs and dances.
All in all, it was a great night for the Irish – young and old.