Irish Set Dancing offers many opportunities to travel for weekends away and holidays in the company of other dancers. Groups of us often travel to other areas in the UK and further afield to attend Irish Set Dancing events. It is quite a thrill to dance with three hundred people on the dance floor, the atmosphere is electric!
Halsway Manor
There is an Irish Set Dancing weekend in May at Halsway Manor in Somerset, where the dances are taught by Maggie Daniel and Lucy Slemmings, and the music provided by one of the top Irish Ceili Bands. Rise the Dust have played there for the last few years and are booked again for 2025. Halsway Manor has accommodation for about 50 people, as well as camping space, and some people stay in local B and Bs. Meals are eaten communally at the Manor, so there is a chance to chat to other dancers from around the country. The setting is very safe, so some dancers bring their children for the weekend too. One of the highlights of the weekend is the late night sessions in the bar with songs and music.
Basingstoke
In March and September some of us travel to Basingstoke for their dance weekends with the “Sets Mad” branding. They also invite ceili bands from Ireland, and Irish teachers, to introduce us to any new dances which have been written recently. The organisers there are very keen to dance a selection of dances from the past which may have been neglected. They project the dance instructions on the wall, so everyone can see what is coming next.
Ireland
We also go to Ireland to dance when we can, for that authentic experience! The dances we learn in Devon are danced all over Ireland, so we can easily get up and join in. There are many events to choose from, so we tend to book different locations each year. Most of the weekends we go to are based in large hotels and we stay in the hotel where the dancing is. This means there is no problem getting to or from the ceilis or workshops, and people can come and go as they wish.
In 2025 a group of us are going to the Summer School in Miltown Malbay, County Clare, a full week of dancing, music and traditional Irish culture. This event draws dancers and musicians from all over the world, there are three ceilis every day, as well as classes and concerts, and music spilling out from the door of every pub. The scenery in Clare is beautiful and there will be time to enjoy that too.
Recent holidays
The last few years we have attended the set dancing weekend in Longford, which is held in November. This is a popular weekend with four ceilis over the weekend, each with a different band. It is held in a very nice hotel in the town centre and organised by Ger Butler, a well known dance teacher.
In April 2024 a group of us were lucky enough to go to the set dancing weekend in Prague. The band was Swallow’s Tail, from Ireland, and the teachers were Kevin and Carol Monaghan from Basingstoke. It was a multi-national weekend, with dancers from all over Europe. This weekend is organised by a very enthusiastic group of young people and was great fun to attend. Some of us stayed on for a few days afterwards to enjoy the sight seeing opportunities in the beautiful city of Prague.
