In 1998 Annmarie became the senior all-Ireland champion in the accompaniment category at the fleadh cheoil. During this same year, Annmarie achieved her T.C.R.G. and was honored by Irish America Magazine as one of the top 100 Irish Americans of the year. After opening the Acosta School of Irish Music and Dance in September 1998, Annmarie has gone on to teach many young musicians and dancers in the New York area. Her students have achieved many awards, both at the national and international level, and have performed at festivals, concerts, on radio, and most recently at the 2008 Papal youth rally in honor of Pope Benedict's visit to NYC.

In 2007, Annmarie graduated with a Masters Degree in Irish Traditional Music from the University of Limerick, Ireland. While there, she studied piano, piano accordion, harp, concertina, and fiddle. Having returned to NY, she continues to teach all of the classes at the Acosta School . Annmarie is an adjunct professor at Fordham University in NY, where she teaches Irish Music and Dance. She has released two recordings of Irish step dancing music, Over the Bridge & Rince Ceol.

Darren Checkley
England

Darren has been involved with Irish dancing since the age of 4. Won 14 Gold medals for Ceili & figure for the Doherty Academy and also won 1st & 2nd at the Great Britain Championships up to the age of 15. Now Darren is involved in the music side and has been playing for quite a few years and wishes all competitors, teachers & schools every success

Dean was an experienced Irish Dancer winning every major title - World Championships, All Ireland, Great Britain, North American & All Scotland. He has many good memories of winning the North American Championships! Deciding to retire & concentrate on Irish music he has since won the World Accordion Championships & the All Ireland Fleadh. To be All Ireland Champion & World Champion on both Irish music & dance is quite an achievement at 17 years of age.

The latest addition to Dean's achievements is the development of his website www.deancrouch.co.uk - this website has been specifically designed for the Irish Dancer, with downloads, ring tones and cd's. This year, joining Barry Owens and the Main Attraction has furthered Dean's career in Irish Music, covering the variety of music played by this well known Irish Band! Dean can be seen playing keyboards - and enjoying every minute of it. Dean would like to wish all the competitors and teachers the best of luck at the North American Championships 2008.

Anthony started playing the piano at the age of 5 & worked his way up through the classical grades. When he was 14 he was playing regularly at feisanna. He plays at numerous feisanna in England, Ireland, Europe, America, Canada & Australia including most of the major championships, World Championships, All ireland and American Nationals.

In 2004 Anthony brought out his own CD for Irish Dance called 'Perfect Timing' and is now working in a seven piece Irish traditional band called Mise. They have performed at some of the major folk festivals including the Dranouter folk festival in Belgium, the largest festival in Europe

Brian Glynn
United States

Brian Glynn was born into a musical family and began playing the accordion at the age of 7 under the direction of Jimmy Early. He also spent time studying under the late Maureen Glynn Connolly and went on to medal at the Fleadh Cheoil in Ireland at the age of 14. Brian Irish danced with the Verlin and Schilling Schools until his soccer team saw him in a kilt at the local shopping mall and he decided to hang up his dancing shoes.

Brian has been playing for Irish dancing since 1992 and has released two CDs, Tempo and Tempo 2. He has traveled to play championships internationally and has performed at venues including: Carnegie Hall, the Statue of Liberty and Madison Square Garden . He has also played on Good Morning America and Fox News Live. For the past five years, Brian has enjoyed playing nationally with his music and feis partner Conor McGuirk.

Brian began Irish dancing under the tutelage of his mother Brigid Grant in Toronto and competed at his first feis at the age of three.  Since then, his credits as a dancer include numerous Canadian and North American national titles as well as being the first North American dancer to win the worlds three times (in 1983, 1985 and 1986).

Having been classically trained on piano, he began to play  accordion at the age of fifteen and has played at the Nationals (mostly paired with pat king) almost every year since Syracuse in the late eighties.

In 1989 he earned his TCRG credential and has celebrated many victories with his mother at the Grant school including North American and World Champions.  In 2006 Brian earned his certification as an ADCRG and has now adjudicated and/or played music for dancers  in Ireland, England, Australia, New Zealand and all across North America.

Brian practices dentistry full time and his beautiful wife Therese and their four children are thrilled to be here in Nashville and wish every competitor the very best of luck.

Kevin Joyce originally from Galway now living in Dublin is no stranger to the world of Irish Dancing. He has been accompanying dancers all over the world at every level for over 25 years and during this period has recorded 5 albums specifically for dancers, teachers and future adjudicators.

This is his tenth trip to the American Nationals and is thoroughly looking forward to a great week in Nashville . Best of luck to everyone competing.

This is my story, as I remember it. In the words of the great philosopher, George Costanza, " if you believe it, it`s not a lie".

I started out playing triangle ( no joke) in the De La Salle accordion marching band in Dundalk , Ireland at age five. My mother was pushing for me to also be an altar boy, or a Cardinal, and my five year old bulk was pushing back saying no. Having to choose between the band and the pulpit I agreed to play accordion, to save family harmony and a good slap, and also having discussed with my agent the career opportunities for triangle players. From there I went on to win the All Irelands , not on triangle or praying I might add.

In 1973 I got a call to play for the World Championships in Dublin , learned all of what was needed in a month, and played for my first Irish dancers at the biggest event of them all. In 1974 I woke up in Canada, some of the 70`s were fuzzy, and continued playing for ID all over the world. Records, tapes and cd`s followed and my musical partner was/is BRIAN GRANT (notice pat king in lower case in his bio) who has given a great accounting of himself, in the third person.Unlike ' I won the worlds 3 times' BRIAN, my own dancing career, you`ll be glad to know, never got off the ground. Just last weekend my audition for 'SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE', at home, didn`t go down well. It`s hard to know what judges are looking for. Doing the sevens backwards is very hard. In Nashville feel free to ask me to show you the routine, for a small fee of course. Talent doesn`t come cheap.Demonstrations will take place most nights at around 2.00 AM when the bar closes.

It has been a pleasure playing for and watching the young dancers grow up.Except for the weirdo with the banjo down below, whose tragically turned in feet caused many sleepless nights.

In closing I would like to wish all of the dancers, teachers, organisers and fellow bar patrons a very happy and successful weekend.

It was at the age of 3 when i was able to pick up and joyfully adhere to the sounds of music. It was at the age of 10 when i played my first feis with my formally known "feis dad" Brian Glynn. Tickling away at the piano and piano accordion was my favorite past time, and still is up until this day.

Throughout my musical career, i have been fortunate enough to represent the United States in Ireland for the Fleadh Cheiol for the past 8 years! Over these eight years i have acheived over 13 qualifying World Champion awards, three of which are 1st place All-Ireland Championship medals. I acheived this on both the piano and accordion, being the second american to win an All Ireland title in this category, and the First American to ever acccomplish winning all three! The hard work, practice, and time consuming schedual between shows and gigs all over the country, have all helped me become who i am today.

I have been nominated in Irish American Magazines Top 100 Irish Americans for the year 2005 as well as one of the Top 40 under 40 Irish Americans by the Irish Echo in 2008. Along side the music, I am a New York State Certified EMT with the FDNY, and Fire Fighter with the Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department. My music has taken me from coast to coast and to numerous countries around the world. I plan on continuing my time within the Irish Dance feild by releasing a cd within the next few months.

Chris comes from of family of Irish dancers and musicians.  His mother runs the McLoughlin School of Irish dance, and his father is a singer.  His mother taught him how to dance. Tragically, his dancing career was short lived, due to very turned in feet.  He learned to play music from Maureen Glynn Connolly, who also encouraged him to play for the dance competitions. Chris is an All Ireland accordion medalist.  He has played at the North American Nationals for the past 16 years, and he has also played extensively throughout Canada , Ireland , Great Britain , Scotland , Australia , & New Zealand.

His music has brought him to Carnegie Hall, and also a handful of nursing homes, various hospitals, and parades around the NYC area. He works at Fordham University in the Bronx .  He lives nearby with his beautiful wife, Michelle, who, incidentally, is also his favorite person to play with. 

Michelle comes from a family of Irish dancers. Her parents are both adjudicators-Mike & Vivienne Bergin. Achievements during her competitive dancing years include winning the Oireachtas and placing 2 nd at the Nationals. Michelle was at a feis when she was first introduced to a woman providing the music for her competition--Maureen Glynn.   Maureen inspired Michelle  & taught her how to play Irish music. Michelle has played at the North American Nationals for the past 15 years. In those years, she has played at Oireachtas championships in all regions of the U.S. & Canada, and at the World Championships and Great Britains. Michelle obtained her T.C.R.G. in 1998. She has toured North America as a fiddler in Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance, and she performed with the show's Las Vegas troupe.    She has also performed with music group, 'Cherish the Ladies' and dance show 'Rhythm of the Dance'.

Her music has allowed her to travel to 49 states, including a tour of Alaska. Highlights include playing at Carnegie Hall in N.Y., the Kodak Theatre in L.A., and performing for former president George Bush. Michelle currently operates 'The Woodlawn House of Irish Music' with Mary Rafferty, where she teaches the fiddle and piano. Michelle's favorite person to play music with is her husband,Chris- he  plays the accordion and attempts the banjo. They live in New York with their puppy, Oprah.

Francis first started Irish dancing at eight years of age in his home place in the Glens of Antrim. At the age of eleven he started playing tin whistle, and at thirteen, traditional Irish piano. Piano has become his principal instrumental study since then. In 2007 Francis graduated with a BA in Irish Music and Dance, from the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick, where he is currently completing an MA in Ethnomusicology under the supervision of Professor Micheál Ó'Súilleabháin.

When not studying for performance and academic exams, Francis finds time for gigging, recording and teaching internationally. He has played at numerous Irish dance competitions around the world, including the All Ireland and World Championships, the Australian and New Zealand National Championships, and the European Championships. Francis is also a qualified dancing teacher (TCRG), registered with An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha, has danced with Riverdance and Ragús, and taught workshops in Ireland and in such far flung places as France, Denmark, Finland and Australia.

I have been involved in Irish Dancing since we came to Canada when I was 4 and my parents enrolled me in Irish Dance under Mae Butler, who was Canada 's matriarch of Irish Dancing. I danced with the Butler Academy in Toronto for 18 years, thoroughly enjoying the whole trip.  From competitions to performances and beyond I had great experiences and made many lifelong friends. A highlight was being a member of the Butler Senior Choreography team which won the North American Senior Championship in New York in the year, well let's say, 19-something B.D. (Before Disco !).

After retiring  from competition, I stayed involved via music, playing accordion and piano.  I played piano on Pat King's first album back in "the day", which inspired me to continue with the music. Pat has inspired probably every Irish Dance musician in North America . One of my first gigs was playing piano at the 1978 Eastern Canadian Oireacthas where I accompanied Pat King, Larry McKee, and George Wilson.  I have also worked my way up to being the second best  looking   musician - Mike Shaffer beat me on that one - that's why the CD was called "Mike and Merv" instead of "Merv and Mike" ! Are we dreamers or what, eh !!

The best  reward  that I gained through  Irish Dancing was meeting my wife Patti "B", who also danced for the Butler Academy, and the arrival of our daughters Jessica and Rebecca, who dance as well. Jessica also has been playing piano at feisanna and the Oireacthas for the past four years.  Patti is from Edmonton and before I knew it, I was living in Edmonton and was asked to play a feis and  have been   fortunate enough to have played at the Worlds, North American and Australian National Championships, and Oireacthas' throughout North America. I have to thank all the teachers in Western Canada for their support and encouragement over the years. It has always been an honour and a privilege to play for dancers.

I obtained my T.C.R.G. in 1993 and with my wife Patti run the Mattierin School of Irish Dancing in Edmonton . Our school have been fortunate enough to have brought home solo and team medals from the Worlds. During the day I am a Network Administrator with Alberta Energy.

Congratulations and best wishes to the New England Region as they host the 2008 Nationals in Nashville . I would like to wish good luck in Nashville to all dancers and teachers.

Theresa began Irish dance classes at the age of 4, with her father Mike Shaffer accompanying the class on his accordion. Under the instruction of Tessie Burke ADCRG, Theresa successfully qualified for Worlds 8 times, competing twice in Galway . Coming from a family very involved in Irish dance and music had greatly influenced her. Her grandfather, the late Gordon Shaffer, taught and played Irish music for many years, and bought Theresa her first instrument - a flute.

She began playing piano at age 12 and in 1998 began accompanying with Papa Mike at many local and regional competitions. Theresa completed her Bachelor's degree in architecture and also passed the TCRG in 1999 and since then has spent many weekends over the past 10 years traveling to feiseanna as both a teacher and musician. Theresa & Mike recorded a CD together, Rhythm & Roots, and have played many Regional Championships as a family duo. This is her 5th North American Nationals as a musician. When not playing or teaching at her own school, Dunleavy Shaffer in Boston , MA , she is at home with her two children, Kiera & Theo.

I began playing the accordion at the age of 5.  My father, Gordon, played professionally and taught hundreds of students to play the accordion and piano.  He was a fixture on the Irish dance scene until his passing in 2004.  After graduating from the University of Pittsburgh in 1976 where I had played on the football team, I started a career as a coach and teacher.  I began to play at feisanna in the midwest as my children Theresa and Joshua began Irish dancing as students of Theresa Burke.  By the 1980's I was regularly playing at various regional and national events.  In the 1990's, invitations to play in Ireland and Australia followed. 

I've had the good fortune to record four different CDs of dance music, most notably "Mike and Merv" with my friend Merv Bell, and "Rhythm and Roots" with my daughter Theresa.  It remains a tremendous joy for me to play music for great dancers of every age and ability, and my life has been enriched and blessed by many friends and experiences all over the world.  I am currently the director of the Youngstown YMCA in Ohio , I've been married to my wife Joyce for 33 years, and we have four handsome grandchildren.  I wish every success to all of the talented dancers who will be competing at the Nationals!   

Jimmy  began Irish dance lessons at an early age with Peter Smith and went on to win many solo and championship titles throughout the USA and Canada, including 1st place at the New York Oireachtas.

In 1968, when his sister Patsy opened an Irish dancing school, Jimmy continued studying dancing.  In 1976, he opened his own branch of the school in Riverdale, NY.  Jimmy's daughter Mairead is an accomplished dancer with the school and has competed at all levels including the World Championships in Ennis in 2005

We all know Jimmy, not just as a teacher, but also as a premier Irish musician who, in 1974, became the first American to win the All-Ireland Championship in his age group on the piano accordion.   Countless teachers and students from schools throughout the country have used Jimmy Early's "Music for the Feis" and "More Music for the Feis" as practice tapes both in class and at home.

Jimmy is a valued member of the Irish Dancing Teachers' Association of North America (IDTANA) who has served for several years as Assistant Regional Director of the Mid-Atlantic (formerly Eastern) Region, as well as Chairman of the Oireachtas in 1985 and 1986. 

I am originally from the Bronx , New York and presently reside on Long Island .  When I was younger I danced for Peter Smith and Roger Casey.   I was  taught the fiddle by  Peter Kelly and  later a student of Martin Mulvihill.  While growing up in the Bronx I was lucky enough to have been around venues where Andy McGann, Paddy Reynolds, Johnny Cronin and many other great fiddle players performed. I have been playing for Irish Dancing Competitions for many years. I wish everyone an enjoyable Nationals.

Christopher McGrory was born into a very musical family originally hailing from County Donegal and began Irish dance lessons at the age of four at the prestigious Cora Cadwell School of Irish Dance in Dublin, Ireland. By the age of seven, he began to learn "the box" from his accordionist father at home. Christopher demonstrated natural talent in both disciplines, and quickly moved up the competitive ranks in both dance and music.

At age twelve he won the coveted All Ireland dance title at the Mansion House in Dublin dancing the 3 Tunes, his favorite ceili dance. A few years later he also won the All-Ireland championships on accordion. He also toured the US twice during his early teens, both playing accordion and dancing. Little did he realize that he would end up making the US his home in later life.

As a young adult, Christopher obtained an honors level music teaching diploma (T.T.C.T.) and taught young musical groups and ceili bands for the Clontarf branch of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eirinn, the most prominent traditional music organization in Ireland. During that time, Christopher also received his T.C.R.G. degree in Irish dancing from An Coimisiun le Rinci Gaelacha, the international Irish Dance Commission. He taught both music and dance for many years in Ireland, serving Dublin and surrounding counties, with a combined enrollment of over three hundred students.

A highlight of Christopher's career came in 2003, when he was asked to perform at the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Dublin; it was the largest sporting event in the world that year. Christopher was privileged to perform at the " World Village " during the lunch time banquets, rubbing shoulders with U2, Sting, Elton John, Pierce Brosnan and Colin Farrell at the entertainers marquee.

In late 2004, Christopher made a life changing decision and moved to Tucson, Arizona. In February of 2005, he opened the "Tir Conaill Academy of Irish Dance," naming the school after the celtic name for Donegal, his ancestral home. In its first two years, the Tucson dance school blossomed into an academy of happy and flourishing students. In 2007, with the welcome addition of Riverdance lead dancer Michael Patrick Gallagher and the talented students of the Phoenix class, Tir Conaill Academy of Irish Dance has become one of the largest and most successful
Irish dance schools in Arizona.

Michael is a champion dancer, singer, songwriter, composer, writer and entertainer who began his career in Irish music and dancing at the age of 5. Musically, his first instrument was the button accordion, learned under the guidance of the late great Roscommon accordionist John Glynn. In his teenage years, Michael's self-taught instrument play-list expanded to include the violin, tin whistle, piano, drums, percussion, mandolin, harmonica, foot-base, and guitar amongst others. A 1976 Fleadh Cheol All-Ireland Lilting Champion, he was a multi-year US Fleadh Cheol reigning button accordion champion during the 1970's, as well as a violinist/drummer in the All-Ireland medaling Galtymore Ceili Band under the direction of Limerick fiddle great Martin Mulvihill.

Michael's competitive dancing career spanned 15 years, solely under the tutelage of dance master Cyril McNiff (TCRG/ADCRG), originally of Belfast . During that time, he won The North American National Championships in 1971 and 1975, as well as the Eastern Regional Championships in 1976. He also competed at The All-World Dancing Championships in Dublin many times during the 1970's. Michael earned his TCRG in 1984, and at that time, was a musical assistant and choreographer to various dancing schools regarding their Dance Drama and show teams.

Michael began playing feiseanna regularly in 1975 and after 1987, he took a ten year hiatus to pursue other musical career interests. He returned to the feis circuit in 1997, yet still maintains an active cabaret schedule. He re-affirmed his commitment to organized Irish dancing in 2006 when he took and passed his ADCRG Exam to become an adjudicator. He recently (February 2008) performed as a featured dancer/singer/musician on Holland America's Irish All-Star Cruise where he debuted an original musical score as well as dance routines that he himself created, choreographed, and danced as a soloist.

His CD credits to date are "The Official List", released in 2000 and "The Official List II" released in 2002. Michael is presently in the studio placing the finishing touches on his new double CD, "The Whispering Door" which is scheduled for release in late summer/early fall 2008. This new CD will feature many of his latest original compositions, with music ideally suited for Irish Step dancers of all levels with a few surprises!