Voureen McLaughlin has Irish dancing in her genes

Derry Feis is 101 years old this Easter. To celebrate the turning of its second century, Derry Now will feature a weekly interview with some of the incredibly talented stalwarts of this unique cultural event. 

Champion Irish dancer, Voureen McLaughlin, who prizes her Feis Dhoire Cholmcille above her Ulster, All-Ireland and World wins, is in the Feis Footlights this week.

It was evident as soon as she started speaking, there could never have been any doubt, Voureen McLaughlin was always destined to be an Irish dancer, it was in her very genes.

Voureen McLaughlin.

“For me, Derry Feis wasn’t even about the competition,” she said, “it was the whole event. Both my parents danced for Mary McLaughlin. They always competed. Daddy was Don McLaughlin and mammy was Angela (née Nixon). 

“When I was young and was dancing, I was always listening to their stories from back in the day. They just lived for Derry Feis. They took their dancing seriously, especially the teams, they seemed to have great craic, great camaraderie. They made life-long friendships that developed at the Derry Feis. 

“And, even though I danced and won An Coimisiún Ulster, All Ireland and Worlds, Derry Feis was always the feis for me.  I danced from the age of six right through till I was 20, first for  Brendan De Glin and later on for Lillian O’Moore. During my time in Derry Feis, I would have been dancing for Lillian, who is now 96 and will be 97 in May. Lilian was a wonderful teacher and still remains to this day a great lady and personal friend for whom I have the utmost respect. She loves Derry Feis. I give great credit to Lilian for my success. 

“There are two sides to Irish dancing, An Coimisiún and An Comhdháil, and Derry Feis was the only feis I was ever aware of where competitors from both organisations were able to compete against each other,” said Voureen, who recalled Colmcille Ladies Choir providing the teas in the Guildhall foyer. 

Voureen McLaughlin's mother front left, Sinead Leppard's mother, Patricia, beside her. Voureen's father, fourth man from left, behind Patricia and Voureen's Aunt Mary, her father's sister, second from right. 

“You were always guaranteed a cup of tea and a wee bun,” she said. “The atmosphere was great. It was brilliant.”

However, a talented clan, Voureen was not the only McLaughlin family member to compete at Derry Feis.

“My sister, Pat, as well as the dancing, was involved in the musical side of the Feis. She played the clarinet with St Mary’s Concert Band plus she sang in the choir with St John’s Primary School. So Derry Feis was a big event in our house.”

When Voureen competed in Derry Feis, the dancing was spread over the whole week. 

“We would have done one or two dances a night and then came Friday night, the big night. That was the championship and the atmosphere was just electric. I think it was the venue, the Guildhall, even more than the competition.

“The Guildhall was such an iconic building full of history and the Derry Feis was always held there. It was a magnificent venue. I don’t think anything would ever compare for me to dancing on the Guildhall stage, regardless of results. 

Voureen McLaughlin in her Irish dancing heyday.

“There was just something magical about Derry Feis.  Us competitors used to have to sit up on the platforms at the back of the stage, looking out at the audience and you could have heard a pin drop.

“I remember one year dancing and Eugene O’Donnell, a great fiddler and dancer who moved to America, was home for Easter, for Derry Feis and he played for our championship or our set dances one night. It  was great to have him playing because he was such a famous person connected with Derry Feis and dancing. Everybody involved in dancing or music knew about Eugene O’Donnell,” reminisced Voureen. 

Voureen said a lot of Derry exiles would have come home for Feis week.

“There was Ron Plummer. He was a dancer who danced and won at Derry Feis. He then emigrated to Canada. He would always have come home for Derry Feis. Ron’s son would also have danced at the Feis. 

“I remember one year our World and Derry Feis coincided. I was dancing the championship at our World Championship. I came off the stage and I was due to dance at 8 o’clock that night in Derry Feis, one of my first solos.

“So, my father drove like a bat out of hell from Malahide in Dublin. I got out of the car, costume on, and onto the stage. I was probably green in colour.  All to get dancing at Derry Feis.

“For people across the city, Derry Feis  was singing, dancing, poetry, action songs. I always remember the MacCafferty School of Singing and Cholmcille Ladies Choir. 

“The atmosphere in the Feis  was great at night, especially with the dancing and the two sides competing against one another. You had a bit of rivalry but we were still friends.

“Myself and Sinead Leppard would have danced against each other. All her side were cheering for her and all our side were cheering for me. There was never any bad feeling, just healthy competitiveness. 

“Sinead’s mother, Patricia, was Mary McLaughlin’s sister. All the McLaughlin’s would have danced and my mother and father danced with them, so everybody knew one another,” smiled Voureen, who went on to become an Irish dancing teacher too. 
Voureen’s school, the Phoenix School, won the Shield for the most successful school at Derry Feis one year. She has also judged Derry Feis, which she described as a “privilege”.

Voureen McLaughlin with Sinead Leppard Joint winners at Derry Feis back in the day.

Voureen gave up teaching when her children Caolan and Orlaith were born. 

“Pat Henderson would have danced with my mammy as well,” said Voureen, “and  I would know her daughters. The Feis is like a treasure that is passed down from generation to generation.

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“And, I would like to hope that today’s young dancers would compete in Derry Feis to say that you have danced there, it is such a precious, precious thing. 

“One of my favourite Feis memories was the year all An Coimisiún teachers went up on the stage and did an eight-hand dance: Lillian O’Moore, Frankie Roddy, Julie Evans, myself a whole lot of dancing teachers.  Then An Comhdháil teachers did their team. The cheers in that hall were brilliant.

“Then there were Ferry Fliers. They always had a senior team in the Gates of Derry competition, the big competition of Derry Feis. The Ferry’s were all nieces and nephews of Mary McLaughlin. They were a brilliant team,” said Voureen, who, although her married name is Duffy, will always be known as Voureen McLaughlin, an occupational hazard with Irish dancers.