Ceili and Set Dancing - Weekly Irish Dance Sessions

What to Expect

Ceili and set dancing keep a living thread of Kerry social life going, and the county’s Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann branches are the main organisers of it, running weekly classes and social nights in halls and hotels across Tralee, Killarney, Dingle, Listowel and smaller towns in between. A ceili band or a small group of trad musicians plays for the dancing, and the figures danced, sets like the Sliabh Luachra or Kerry sets local to the region, are learned by ear and by watching rather than from a printed sheet. No partner or prior experience is needed to turn up; regulars are used to steering newcomers through a figure at the side of the floor before the music starts again.

Good to Know

• Comhaltas branches across Kerry run weekly classes and social dancing nights, with the autumn season generally picking up pace from September
• Community halls, hotels and pubs across Tralee, Killarney, Dingle and Listowel host sessions through the year
• Live traditional music, usually a ceili band or a small trad group
• All ages and abilities welcome, no partner required
• Set dancing also features at fixed points in the Kerry calendar, including the Listowel Rambling House on the last Thursday of the month and traditional entertainment at Puck Fair
• Admission is typically a few euro on the door, going toward the band and hall hire
• Newcomers are usually walked through a figure at the side of the floor before the music starts, so turning up alone is common and expected

Getting There

Venues vary by location. Community halls and hotel function rooms throughout Tralee, Killarney, Dingle, Listowel and other Kerry towns host sessions; local Comhaltas branches and tourist information offices can confirm the nearest night out, and most Kerry towns are within an hour’s drive of at least one regular session or class.