Claremorris, Friday night, and Irish singing and dancing was alive. All that could be heard from the glamourous confines of the McWilliam Park Hotel was chattering and excited conversation which definitely wasn’t spoken in the English language, but which sounded vaguely familiar. From outside you would be forgiven for thinking we’d been transported to the Connemara Gaeltacht. But inside it was a different story altogether. The room was awash with glamour befitting any danceroom in the nation, and it was the pride that each and every person in attendance had for our Irish culture, that was felt immediately upon arrival.
Scór enthusiasts from across the county had gathered in celebration of Ireland’s traditions and culture, and with dancing shoes at the ready and the Heather Breeze Céili Band’s instruments tuned and making beautiful noise, the dance floor quickly filled.
It wasn’t the usual dancing scrum you would witness at a wedding or years ago at the local GAA dinner dance when every cowboy in town had a go at the Siege of Ennis. No, there were champion dancers in town, spanning generations, but none having lost the rhythm or style of Ireland’s traditional dances.
And what’s great about Irish culture is that you can put your own take on it. A sort of ‘dumbing down’ of the Siege of Ennis (as one lady pointed out ) has opened up this popular dance to the masses and there isn’t an Irish man, woman, or child who have attended a wedding or dance in this country, who doesn’t know the Siege of Ennis.
As an Irish dancer myself, who only picked up the basics of set dancing at the odd wedding or function here and there, it was a breath of fresh air to be swept across the dancefloor by men definitely double and maybe not far off triple my age, who could still keep beat perfectly.
Scór is a tradition in Mayo, an institution that has evolved and progressed to reflect the modern times we live in.
And it was heartening, in such depressed times, to see so many stalwarts of Scór at the 40th anniversary celebrations in the McWilliam Park last Friday night.
From one time dancers to musicians, singers, and parents who travelled the highways and byways of Mayo and Connacht in search of that elusive Scór title, every aspect of this wonderful competition was represented.
Mayo has a proud tradition in Scór, a competition which has laid the foundation to so many illustrious careers. Among those who found early fame on the Scór stages of Ireland were Fergal O Murchu of Ragús fame and Achill’s own James Kilbane.
Between lively bursts of ‘Shoe the Donkey’ and ‘The Stack of Barley’ both men delighted Friday night’s audience with renditions of old Irish favourites.
For many Scór provides an opportunity to represent their club in a GAA competition. There is more to the GAA than football and hurling. Many might call me insane for suggesting such a thing. But the GAA also embraces our culture as well as our other national sports of handball, camogie, and rounders and offers another opportunity for clubs to compete for county, Connacht, and All-Ireland honours.
Mayo has an exceptional record at All-Ireland level being the only county in Ireland to have one competitor win three All-Ireland titles in a row — that was Fergal O Murchu. Saol fada do Scór.
Toni Bourke Editor [email protected]
