Local girls dancing through St. Patrick’s Day

For the Hanrahan family, the St. Patrick’s Day holiday is one busy time.

Rita and Shawn Hanrahan’s three daughters, Ailish, Ireland, and Fiona, are Irish step dancers and are “bouncing” around all weekend performing with the Michael Patrick Gallagher School of Irish Dance.

About two and a half years ago the Hanrahans were looking for a new activity for the girls and since both Rita and Shawn’s families are Irish, they thought they would give step dancing a chance.

“I think it means a lot to us and to our families that the girls Irish dance,” Rita said. “We didn’t know if they would like it but we thought it was worth a try.”

There weren’t any Irish dancing schools in Maricopa, so Rita said they knew there were going to have a lot of driving to do but if the girls loved it, it would be worth it.

The school they settled on is about a 45-minute drive up State Road 347 to the I-10 and then north on the 51. The girls go to practice twice a week.

The Hanrahan daughters said they love doing performances because they are “fun and awesome,” but they also like to dance competitively.

Dancing competitively is where Irish dancing gets expensive. To compete dancers need shoes, socks, wigs and dresses and each competition, or feis, has an entry fee. Rita said so far they have spent about $2,000 just on dresses.

With family roots being in Galway and Claire, Rita said the whole family loves that the girls are involved in an activity that reflects their heritage.

Everyone is always excited to get pictures and videos of the girls dancing and then when we visit they all say, ‘Do a dance, do a dance.’”

Judy Hanrahan, Shawn’s mother, said she has really enjoyed watching the girls progress through the levels of dancing.