Welcoming the 2009 World Irish Dancing Championships to Philadelphia.

WHEREAS, The 2009 World Irish Dancing Championships will be held for the first time in the United States from April 5 to 12 at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia; and

WHEREAS, The World Irish Dancing Championships is an eight day event that is expected to attract well over 4,000 of the finest Irish dancers from all over the World, including dancers from Philadelphia and the region; and

WHEREAS, This world-famous event will draw an enormous amount of national and international attention to Philadelphia and is predicted to attract over 20,000 fans; and

WHEREAS, Dancers will compete in solo, ceili, modern figure invention and dance drama categories with ages ranging from ten through to the mid twenties; and

WHEREAS, The World Irish Dancing Championships were established in 1970 by Seamus Mac Con Uladh and Maitiu O Maoileidigh; and

WHEREAS, The Championships are part of the Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha, which was established in the late 1920s for the purpose of examining the organization of Irish dancing as it existed at the time and to make recommendations as to how it might be better organized in the future; and

WHEREAS, The first World Irish Dancing Championships were held in the tiny theatre of Coláiste Mhuire in Parnell Square in Dublin, Ireland; and

WHEREAS, Since that time, the Championships have grown into an international event of immense proportions; and

WHEREAS, The World Irish Dancing Championships – Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne –were held at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast in March 2008 and are scheduled to take place in Glasgow in 2010; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA that Council does hereby welcome the 2009 World Irish Dancing Championships to Philadelphia.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Ailish O'Daly, President of An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha, as evidence of the sincere sentiments of this legislative body.

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