Michelle Bergin

Brian Boyce

Brian Boyce was born in a strong Irish Philadelphia neighborhood called Upper Darby. His parents emigrated from Co. Donegal and came from very musical families; the Boyce house was no exception and was always alive with entertainment. Brian started playing accordion at the age of 6 with a local teacher of Italian heritage, Nick Bennett. After a few years of essons, Brian’s Irish dance teacher, Maureen McDade-McGrory,TCRG, arranged lessons for about 15 students with All-Ireland Accordion Champion Jimmy Early, ADCRG.

“I owe a great deal of gratitude to these 2 committed teachers
as well as my parents.” He has competed in the All-Ireland Championships, leads weekly sessions in the Philadelphia area, and is one of few musicians who are proficient on both the piano accordion as well as the Irish Button Accordion.

“I am fortunate to be able to manage my career as a firefighter and be a musician. I am truly thankful for a very supportive wife and family. I have enjoyed playing for dancers for numerous years and am very proud that my daughter has taken such a genuine interest in and has such passion for Irish
dancing. Irish culture has so much to offer to today’s youth, it’s great to see so many families enjoying the lifetime of friendships that come with their involvement in this great part of the Irish Heritage.”

Daniel Gibney

Dom Lavin
& Katleen Lavin

Kathleen and Dom Lavin have been providing championship level music for feiseanna throughout North America as a duo for over twelve years, and their Irish dance music series, “Step in Time” volumes 1 & 2 remains among the most popular dance CD’s in the US.

Kathleen’s and Dom’s deep love of traditional Irish music is evident in their playing.  Their early careers in music followed a remarkably parallel course; they both played piano accordion, they are both multi-All Ireland medal winners

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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 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.

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!

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Chris comes from a family of Irish dancers and musicians. His mother, Patsy McLoughlin, runs the McLoughlin School of Irish dance; 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.

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I am originally from Ballymena, Co. Antrim, where I started off playing feisanna Many years ago with the late Mary Mulholland (R.I.P.), a great musician and sorely missed friend. This is my first time at ORNC since 1998, where I provided musical accompaniment, and also competed as a dancer under the Armstrong S.D., Belfast.

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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 was later a student of Martin Mulvihill.  While growing up in the Bronx I was lucky enough to be around venues where Andy McGann, Paddy Reynolds, Johnny Cronin and many other great fiddle players performed. 

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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.

Renowned for his impeccable tempo, Tony has played for Irish dancers throughout North America for many years and is eagerly sought after as a Feis musician. Originally from Dublin, Ireland, he first learned to play the accordion at St. Michael's College, Omeath, Co. Louth while attending boarding school. He became interested in playing for Irish dancers when his daughter Sheila started to take lessons in 1978.

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