After Dinner Speakers: Celtic Feet, Johnny Ball, Selina Scott

Early records indicate that dance was an integral part of community life in Ireland as far back as the 11th century, indeed it is recorded that the Viking, Eric the Red having 'visited' Ireland took with him two Irishmen on his voyage of discovery to North America, although there is no evidence of any dancing to celebrate the occasion of the discovery! During the suppression of Irish culture, dancing still continued 'underground' and even Queen Elizabeth I was "exceedingly pleased with Irish tunes and dances". Sir Henry Sydney wrote to Queen Elizabeth referring to the girls he saw dancing Irish Jigs in Galway "They are very beautiful, magnificently dressed and first-class dancers". County dancing continued in secrecy during the 1700s. Early quotations from that period state "In every field a fiddle and the lasses footing it till they are all a foam" and "The young folk dance until the cows come home". The priests however, condemned this style of dance "In the dance are seen frenzy and woe". In fact some sources indicate that Irish dancers traditionally dance with their arms by their sides because the priests interpreted the movement of the arms as sexual!