Young moate dancer to feature on tg4s jig gig talent show

An exciting TV appearance beckons for a young Moate sean nós dancer.

Just seven and half years of age, Caoimhe Murray Kelly, who has been a student of the Sharleen McCaffrey School of Dancing in Moate since the tender age of four, makes her TV debut this Sunday evening on the popular TG4 dance talent show 'An Jig Gig’ at 8.30pm.

Her proud mother Catherine joked this week that even though the show was filmed in RTÉ studios in Dublin only four or five weeks ago, it has been the “longest wait” for Caoimhe, a second class pupil in St Brigid’s NS in Moate, to see herself on screen.

“When she entered the show, we just decided to go to Galway for the day and see it how it went. Then we got the call to say that she got through, she just said 'I’m not as good as those other dancers’ but I told her she obviously was. She was so thrilled,” added Catherine.

The hit TV show brings together an exciting blend of Irish dance talent from all corners of the country, with everything from set dancing, to brush dances, sean nós dance and Irish dancing showcased, some performed the traditional way, while others embark on their own modern take on older styles before judges Breandán de Gallaí and Dearbhla Lennon, both former lead dancers in Riverdance, and champion sean nós dancer, Labhrás Sonai Choilm Learaí.

Speaking further about the upcoming television appearance, Catherine Murray enthused that her daughter performs a very traditional sean nós routine on the show, but she is also a big fan of ceilí and set dancing.

“I think Caoimhe likes the sean nós because it’s fun and relaxed,” said her mother, crediting the opening of the Sharleen McCaffrey School of Dancing some years ago for exposing so many youngsters to sean nós dance locally, something that didn’t exist when she herself was growing up.

Aside from the nerves and excitement of the TV performance, a huge thrill for Caoimhe was to meet TV star Ryan Tubridy during her visit to the Donnybrook studios, Catherine explained.

“When she heard she had got through to Dublin, one of the first things she said was 'oh my god, will I get to meet Ryan Tubridy?’. And he just happened to walk into the canteen when all of the kids were having their lunch on the day we were there so he was surrounded. That was one of the highlights.”

“It was just such a good experience for her to be exposed to that (Jig Gig) so young,” Catherine concluded, adding that it is a lovely memory for her daughter to have in years to come.

'An Jig Gig’ airs this Sunday on TG4 at 8.30pm. It is repeated every Monday at 2pm.