DUBLIN, Ohio — It’s time for all things Irish! Saturday Dublin, Ohio, not Ireland, is celebrating its St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which means bagpipers, colorful floats, and, of course, Irish dancers are returning to the streets after being canceled last year due to weather.
What You Need To Know
- The Richens/Timm Academy of Irish Dance gets ready for the City of Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade
- As the students practice their Irish dancing, they also learn a thing or two about Irish culture
- The Parade started Saturday at 11 a.m. in downtown Dublin
The Richens/Timm Academy of Irish Dance is one of the dance groups performing in the City of Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
Among the dancers is Poppy O’Donnell.
“It’s really fun performing,” said O’Donnell.
She’s only eight and is not shy. In fact, her favorite part of performing is, “that I’m the center of attention.”
Poppy first slipped on her dance shoes at five-years-old, and if you ask her, she’s practically a natural.
“It’s hard at first,” said O’Donnell. “It can be really nervous, but after I started, it became easier and easier. I don’t know, it’s just really fun.”
With a little Irish dancing, and help from instructors John and Heather Timm, students like Poppy are getting more than the Irish jig down. They’re learning a thing or two about ancient Irish culture.
“More than anything,” explained dance instructor John Timm, “it’s teaching the history of Irish dancing and knowing that some of these dances were passed down from generation to generation and been done for hundreds of years, and yet, now it’s their turn to pass that down to the next generation and show them what Irish dancing is all about.”
As the dancers get all laced up for the parade, they can’t imagine a better way to get their Irish on than being in the spotlight with all their peers.
