HISTORICALLY 1969 WAS AN EVENTFUL YEAR!!
Neil Armstrong was the first astronaut to walk on the moon.
The famous Rock and Roll festival was held at Woodstock, NY
The N.Y Mets baseball team won their first World Series.
The first North American Oireachtas was held in New York City.
The first World Irish Dancing Championships were held at Colaiste Mhuire in Dublin.
It was at a meeting in Manhattan that it was proposed to do something positive about sponsoring a National Invitational Championship to qualify a percentage of our dancers to go to the "World". IDTANA President Kevin McKenna appointed Michael Bergin to organize the event, which later Marie Walsh, An Coimisiun liaison, suggested we call it an Oireachtas. It became the First Annual North American Oireachtas Rince. Years later it was renamed The National Championship by the IDTANA.
With Jimmy Erwin and Anna O'Sullivan as Co-Chairman--Fedelmia Davies, Entries--Peter Smith and Cyril McNiff, Awards--Kevin McKenna, Adjudicators--Jimmy Erwin, Musicians--Maura O'Reilly, Peggy Bergin and Mary Bastis, Publicity and Fund Raising. The Committee started off with no money, no experience but lots of enthusiasm and co-operation from the small membership that existed at that time, especially the out of town teachers Mae Butler, who came with a bus load from Canada, Denis and Marge Dennehy Chicago, Tessie Burke-Cleveland, Rita O'Shea-Boston, Una Ellis-Chicago, Ann Healy-California, and locally Jerry Mulvihill, New York.
On Saturday November 29th the First National Convention convened at the Statler Hilton Hotel in Manhattan, chaired by Michael Bergin. That night a fund raising Dinner Ceili was held, chaired by Sheila Butler Duffy. Music was by the New York Ceili Band which included legendary musicians Andy McCann, Paddy Reynolds, Larry Redican, Paddy O'Brien, Felix Dolan and Gerry Wallace. The Keynote speaker was Felix Dolan whose topic "O'Carollan-The Blind Harpist and Composer" was most appropriate in light of the fact that the Planksty Set-piece compositions were among the brilliant contributions by this genius to the world of Irish Music. Sunday morning November 30, 1969 at 8AM it began modestly by today's standards. Two rooms, Three stages, One day, finishing around midnight with a great sense of achievement, excitement and relief that it was succesful. In the words of Robert Frost, " We dared to sail beyond the sunset and dreamt of things that never were and said-Why Not!"
The euphoria continued afterward when we chartered an Aer Lingus plane, sold all the round trip seats at $200 each. The qualifiers flew to Dublin where Donnie Golden became the first American winner, placing 2nd at the World Championships and at the All Ireland. Other qualifiers where Sean Ogle, Sean Cunnane, Mary Healy, Kathleen McCafferty, Cathy Spencer, Colleen Werba, Brendan McKiernan, Jimmy Friel, Gail Golden Casey, Maureen Glynn, Barbara Boland, Kenny Verlin, Sean Sullivan, Judy McCafferty, Pattie Moriarty, Laura Masters, Claire Moriarty Fedelmia Davis Gallagher, Peggy White, Jimmy Early, Rose Ellen Fee, Maureen Bakke, Geraldine Whelan, Thomas Cashin, Sheila Delaney and P.J. McCafferty.
To paraphrase Neil Armstrong, the first astronaut to walk on the moon that same historic year. The First Oireachtas Rince was a small step for dancers but a giant step for Irish Dancing in North America.
