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Páraic Ó hOibicín, Sean-nós Dancer in Residence 2016
Jan 22 2016 Posted: 14:47 GMT

The Centre for Irish Studies at NUI Galway is delighted to announce the appointment of Páraic Ó hOibicín as Sean-nós Dancer in Residence for 2016.

A native of Lettermuckoo, Connemara, Páraic Ó hOibicín is one of a generation of dancers who led the revival of sean-nós dance in the late twentieth century.  Key to Páraic’s style of dancing, is a faithful nod to older dancers and the tradition that he saw in his youth. He credits Máirtín Beag Ó Gríofa as the most important influence in his development as a sean-nós dancer. Páraic’s style is highly individual, with a lightness and individuality of step recognisable the world over. 

Like many of his generation, Páraic was resident for a number of years in the UK, but returned to Lettermuckoo in 1984, and quickly reconnected with the dancing community of his youth through sean-nós and set dancing. A winner of the Oireachtas competition in 2004, Páraic is a sought after performer and teacher, and has been invited to give work-shops and master-classes of sean-nós dance nationally throughout Ireland, and indeed internationally, in Zurich and this year in America.  Among his many dance students over the years are two of his own children Patrick and Soina, who have both been successful in Oireachtas competitions, continuing the family tradition.

During his residency, Páraic will participate in a series of performances and workshops at the Centre for Irish Studies and other venues in Galway.  A selection of his repertoire will also be recorded to deposit in the Sean-Nós Archive at the Centre for Irish Studies. A series of five sean-nós dance workshops will take place in An Taibhdhearc and commence on the 10 February 2016 and are free and open to all.

This project is funded by Ealaín na Gaeltachta, Údarás na Gaeltachta and An Chomhairle Ealaíon in association with the Centre for Irish Studies at NUI, Galway.

Here is a clip of Páraic in Ballydehob a number of years ago:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZzVmrBj1SY

Samantha Williams

Irish Studies

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