County Derry brothers crowned World Irish Dancing Champions

Two brothers from Feeny have been crowned World Irish Dancing Champions in their age categories.

Odhrán and Oisín Burke, from the McNicholl School of Irish Dancing, both achieved the impressive feat at the recent World Irish Dancing Championship in Killarney, County Kerry.

Odhrán won the under-15 boys category – his fifth consecutive world title while Oisín became the under-13 Boys World Champion – his second world title.

The boys' mother, Sinead Burke, is hugely proud of their wins but says they prefer to play it cool with their accomplishments.

“Both boys, when their results were coming out, burst into tears. They wouldn't tend to show their emotions massively towards dancing because they play football and hurling and they're both very good at that as well. They don't shout it from the rooftops to their peers at school,” Sinead said.

“Odhrán has won his fifth consecutive world title, He won his first in 2018. Oisín won his first in 2021 and he was runner up in 2022 and in 2023 he gained the title back again after he worked extremely hard to regain it.

“You would never expect any of them to go and retain the title. It is always nice – everybody would like to be a world champion once but to say you're a world champion twice or five times is just a dream.”

The Burke family live in Feeny andthe boys attend St Patrick's College in Maghera. Sinead says they show equal dedication to their schoolwork, dancing and sports.

“What has got them to such a high level is that they are both very determined boys. You can imagine the competition between the pair of them – all good but maybe not so good at some times.

“They have been winning championships since probably the age of three or four. I did take them to quite a lot of competitions all over Ireland when they were younger.

“Both boys are current Ulster Champions. They both won their respective Ulsters there in 2022. It's Odhran's third Ulster title and Oisins second Ulster title.”

The boys' family has a history of Irish dancing, Sinead says this may be part of the reason they have stayed at their level consistently.

“Odhrán and Oisín have been dancing since they were about three years old – they didn't get much of a choice because they danced for myself at the McNicholl School of Irish Dancing,” she laughs.

“It's a family thing – we all danced for our uncle Eugene Smith who is a renowned teacher and adjudicator.”

Eugene is from Maghera and taught in South Derry while Sinead and her brothers, who also teach at the McNicholl school, were growing up.

Sinead says the boys had contrasting emotions in the lead up to the event.

“Odhrán, as the eldest, would be quite cool and calm. Oisin is the middle child and gets a wee bit more nervous than Odhran does

“Leading up to the events I always tell them 'If you've done the work you've got nothing to worry about'. They both have massive talent but talent doesn't always come through unless you work hard. I always say to them 'hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard'.

“If it's your day, well and good, if it's not, you congratulate the person who has made it their day, but thankfully it did work out for both of them.

“All they can do is their best and showcase their hard work,” Sinead said.

“We don't see all the boys (they're competing against) from one end of the year to the next there's competitors outside of our own country, in England and Scotland. We wouldn't go to competitions in America or Canada either – probably because our lives are so busy outside of dancing.

“So you don't know from one year to the next how much anyone else has improved or if there's anybody else who has just come to the chop. So you just perform the way you can perform,” she added.

Despite frequently coming up against many of the same boys year after year in many of the same competitions, there is a lot of camaraderie at the events.

“The boys have met some lifelong friends through dancing. They get on so well with all their friends all over the country and outside the country that I don't think they see it really as much of a competition.

“When we go to the World’s it one day of competing as a solo then maybe for teams by then they come together and have the craic and the rest is just a holiday for them.”

They both play for Banagher GAC in both hurling and gaelic and have gained experience of the highs and lows of defeat in team sports.

Balancing school, sports and dancing can be difficult but Sinead says they show serious dedication in all areas.

“Both boys bring the same level of discipline to their schoolwork as their sports. Odrhrán is in fourth year and is sitting part of his GCSE's and Oisín is in second year. Yes it's time consuming but they do very well at school as well. But their schoolwork does need to be seen to first.

“They go to (dancing) class three nights a week in Feeny here and then their club is Banagher Club.

“(The boys) would run quite a bit from their classes straight to football or hurling training in the club or they would come from after school football or hurley straight to class with me,” Sinead said.

“Because of the size of the club they play double age groups as well. Odhrán does play in the development squad for Derry under 15. Then they also have their school football and hurling.

“So it is very difficult to juggle it but it all goes hand in hand. Their football helps with their fitness for the dancing and I'm sure their coaches would say the same – that the dancing helps them with their fitness and nimbleness on the pitch.”

The boys’ have also seen success with their sports clubs, with Odhrán winning a Leonard Cup medal and Oisín the McNamee Cup.

“Unfortunately both of them were knocked out of their football year groups in the semi finals so they have to learn to deal with the emotions of that. All these things help with all the obstacles that they will overcome in life.”

The boys are at an age of change and growth so Sinead is not certain what's in store for their dancing in the future but hopes they don't stray too far.

“I don't know if they will go down the route of doing shows. They're at a stage in their lives where football and hurling are what they think they will continue with as a sport.

“Maybe they could be mammy's boys as well and they wouldn't want to leave me here and go travelling the world,” she jokes. “I would like it if they'd teach along with me.

“It's really hard to tell at the minute with them only being 12 and 14.”

In the short term, they will now prepare for the Ulster Championships in October as they look to build on their success so far.