NEW Yorker Julia O’Rourke made a dramatic return on to the Worlds stage yesterday as she took the under 15 Girls title at the World Irish Dance Championships in London.
The former 2010 World Champion drew much admiration from a packed London Hilton Metropole hotel as she claimed the title following a disappointing 24th at last year's World’s in Boston.
Back then the teenager from the Doherty Petri School of Irish Dancing - who many will recognize from JIG – The Movie - was making her first proper return to the world stage following that a long-term injury.
Yesterday, O'Rourke crowned off a hard fought victory to finish ahead of British girl, Olivia Drury of the Claddagh Academy.
Elsewhere, there was success for Birmingham's Scanlon School of Irish Dancing in the Under 13 Mixed Ceili as tehy placed first.
The fourth day of the championships is currently underway - for full details, reports and photographs see our Irish Dancing section on our website.
The World Irish Dancing Championships run until Sunday.
See next week's Irish Post (April 23 edition) for SIX-PAGES of pictures from this year’s Championships
Results
UNDER 13 MIXED CEILI - OIREACHTAS RINCE NA CRUINNE - LONDON
1 Team A Scanlon Midlands Region, England/Wales
2 Team A McDonagh-Byrne Cuige Chonnacht, Eire
3 Team A Mona Ni Rodaigh Cuige Uladh, Eire
4 Team A Smith McCarron Cuige Uladh, Eire
5 Team A Scoil Rince Ui She Cuige Laighean, Eire
6 Team A Claddagh Academy Southern Region, England
7 Team A Sheehan-Murphy Cuige Mumhan, Eire
8 Team A Ceim Oir Southern Region, England
9 Team A Staic Cuige Mumhan, Eire
10 Team A Bennis Cuige Mumhan, Eire
11 Team A Marion Flanagan Southern Region, England
UNDER 13 MIXED FIGURE - OIREACHTAS RINCE NA CRUINNE - LONDON
1 Team A Curley Cuige Chonnacht, Eire
UNDER 13 GIRLS CEILI - OIREACHTAS RINCE NA CRUINNE - LONDON
1 Team A Claddagh Western Region, USA
2 Team A Celtic Steps Western Region, USA
3 Team A McDonagh-Byrne Cuige Chonnacht, Eire
4 Team A Ni Chearra-O'Baolain Cuige Uladh, Eire
5 Team A Sylvan Kelly Cuige Chonnacht, Eire
6 Team A Lavin-Cassidy Mid America Region, USA
7 Team A Mona Ni Rodaigh Cuige Uladh, Eire
8 Team A McGing Mid America Region, USA
9 Team A Ard Rialla O'Donoghue Cuige Uladh, Eire
10 Team A Scoil Rince Ui She Cuige Laighean, Eire
11 Team A Flynn O'Kane Academy Cuige Mumhan, Eire
12 Team A Murchu Duiginn Southern Region, England
13 Team B Bennis Cuige Mumhan, Eire
14 Team A Kidd Midlands Region, England/Wales
15 Team A Stewart School Of Dance Scotland
16 Team A Doherty Petri Cuige Uladh, Eire & Mid-Atlantic Region, USA
17 Team A Griffin Lynch Southern Region, England
18 Team A Siobhan McDonnell Cuige Chonnacht, Eire
19 Team A Tracey Taaffe Cuige Uladh, Eire
20 Team A Scoil Rince Ui Bhriain Cuige Mumhan, Eire
21 Team A Alison Quigley Cuige Uladh, Eire
22 Team B Celtic Steps Western Region, USA
23 Team A Robson North East Region, England
24 Team A The Kent Academy Southern Region, England
25 Team A Caroline Greene School Scotland
26 Team A Ceim Oir Southern Region, England
27 Team A McCarthy Cuige Uladh, Eire
28 Team A Brady Western Region, Canada
29 Team A Burke North West Region, England
30 Team A Ryan Lavelle Southern Region, England
31 Team A Anthony Costello Cuige Mumhan, Eire
UNDER 13 GIRLS FIGURE - OIREACHTAS RINCE NA CRUINNE - LONDON
1 Team A Trinity Mid America Region, USA
2 Team A Claddagh Western Region, USA
3 Team A Celtic Steps Western Region, USA
4 Team A Kidd Midlands Region, England/Wales
5 Team A McManigan Southern Region, England
6 Team A Marion Flanagan Southern Region, England
UNDER 15 BOYS - OIREACHTAS RINCE NA CRUINNE - LONDON
1 Gerard Byrne McNelis Cunningham Boyle Cuige Uladh, Eire
2 John Whitehurst Carey Midlands Region, England/Wales
3 Cian Walsh Kiely-Walsh Cuige Mumhan, Eire
4 Matthew Gardiner Hession Cuige Chonnacht, Eire
5 Joseph O'Reilly Boyle Southern Region, USA
6 Jamie Hennessy Scoil Rince Ui She Cuige Laighean, Eire
7 James O'Reilly Boyle Southern Region, USA
8 Aaron O Flynn Kiely-Walsh Cuige Mumhan, Eire
9 Conor Nolan Fleming Ball Cuige Mumhan, Eire
10 Colin Vecchiariello Gilleoghan Irish Dance New England Region, USA
11 Darragh Hurley Rinceoiri Na Riochta Cuige Mumhan, Eire
12 Jamie Walsh Hession Cuige Chonnacht, Eire
13 Zackary Bernier Goggin-Carroll Eastern Region, Canada
13 Lucas Dean Claddagh Academy Southern Region, England
13 Timothy Richardson Marie Moore Mid Atlantic Region, USA
16 Jack Roberts Inis Cara Midlands Region, England/Wales
17 Felipe Moran Fereira Murchu Duiginn Southern Region, England
18 Dallin Womack Scariff Hardiman Western Region, USA
19 McKimmon Engelhardt McNulty Mid America Region, USA
20 Brendan Kerr Carson-Kennedy Academy Cuige Uladh, Eire
21 Tomas McDonald Nora Pickett Western Region, Canada
22 Luke Chaumont Walton New South Wales, Australia
23 Sean Boyles O'Shea Mid America Region, USA
14-15 GIRLS - LONDON
1 Julia O'Rourke Doherty Petri Cuige Uladh, Eire & Mid-Atlantic Region, USA
2 Olivia Drury Claddagh Academy Southern Region, England
3 Margaret Nowakowski Trinity Mid America Region, USA
4 Amy Maher Ryan Cuige Mumhan, Eire
5 Hannah Mazzei The Academy Mid America Region, USA
6 Olivia Gough Doherty Petri Cuige Uladh, Eire & Mid-Atlantic Region, USA
7 Alannah Lynch Scoil Rince Ui She Cuige Laighean, Eire
8 Gianna Cheeseman Broesler Mid Atlantic Region, USA
9 Abigail Monaghan McGahan Lees Southern Region, England
10Niamh Fitzgerald Siobhan McDonnell Cuige Chonnacht, Eire
11 Brooke Romeo Hagen-Kavanagh Mid Atlantic Region, USA
12 Eleanor Burke Hession Cuige Chonnacht, Eire
13 Eleanor McWeeney O'Neill Cuige Chonnacht, Eire
14 Paidin Wilson Forbes New England Region, USA
15 Rebecca Seery Scoil Rince Ui She Cuige Laighean, Eire
16 Orla Dunne Morgan North West Region, England
17 Clare Murray Macritchie Murray Academy New England Region, USA
18 Kyra Carey Ard Rialla O'Donoghue Cuige Uladh, Eire
19 Ciara Horan Flynn O'Kane Academy Cuige Mumhan, Eire
20 Lisa Gaughran Fegan Cuige Laighean, Eire
21 Ela Kohen-Murray Cresham Academy Cuige Chonnacht, Eire
21 Laura Johnston Coleman Cuige Chonnacht, Eire
23 Gavina Zuccarello McGahan Lees Southern Region, England
24 Ellie Cullen Scanlon Midlands Region, England/Wales
25 Caroline Murphy Lynn Mid Atlantic Region, USA
26 Hannah McGowan Boland McCarthy Knox Cuige Mumhan, Eire
26 Saoirse Deboy Teelin Southern Region, USA
28 Ava McLaughlin Paschal Lyons Cuige Uladh, Eire
29 Olivia Sewell Ni Chearra-O'Baolain Cuige Uladh, Eire
30 Ellena Nsajja McGahan Lees Southern Region, England
31 Caroline Leeber Pender-Keady New England Region, USA
32 Kate Lyons Ryan Cuige Mumhan, Eire
33 Mikaela Wallace McNelis Cunningham Boyle Cuige Uladh, Eire
34 Abbie Turner Higgins Cuige Mumhan, Eire
35 Georgia McCann Elaine Kavanagh Cuige Laighean, Eire
36 Marina Flatley Griffin Mullane Healy Godley Mid America Region, USA
37 Lauren Clarke Realta Cuige Uladh, Eire
38 Ella McCabe Maguire-O'Shea Southern Region, England
39 Amanda Hansen An Rince Mor Mid Atlantic Region, USA
40 Natalie Vestergom Doherty Petri Cuige Uladh, Eire & Mid-Atlantic Region, USA
41 Julia Sullivan Doyle Eastern Region, Canada
42 Shannon Flanagan Lally North West Region, England
43 Anna-Rose King Maguire-O'Shea Southern Region, England
43 Laura Best Doherty Petri Cuige Uladh, Eire & Mid-Atlantic Region, USA
45 Aoife Galvin Fingal Cuige Laighean, Eire
46 Skylar Jenks Young Mid Atlantic Region, USA47 276 Ciara - Mae Crone Scoil Rince Ni Ceide-Upton Western Australia
48 Juliana Wolfe O'Shea-Chaplin New England Region, USA
49 Livvi Place Kelly Hendry North East Region, England
50 Roisin Naughton Coleman Cuige Chonnacht, Eire
***This article was amended on April17 to correct that Julia O'Rourke won Under 15 and not Under 13 as previously stated***
