Irish dancing teachers will have a say in who judges competitions after feis set allegations

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Irish dancing teachers will have more of a say in judging high-profile competitions, under new reforms to the world’s largest and oldest dancing corps.

n Comisiin le RincGaelacha (CLRG), which was embroiled in a global cheating scandal last year, said on Monday it was changing the way its judges were chosen to give more registered teachers than ever before the right voting to select arbitrators from 2024.

It emerged last year that at least a dozen Irish dance teachers had been charged with what is known as feis-fixing after screenshots emerged showing them arranging results competitions before they take place.

After the scandal came to light, dozens more allegations were made against more teachers and judges, making it the biggest ever infidelity scandal in Irish dancing.

The CLRG said it held a meeting on Saturday where it was agreed that one of the 2,300 teacher organizations will be able to vote for who they think should referee the competitions, as long as the teachers who wish to vote are in order. Some dance teachers implicated in the cheating scandal are currently facing penalties and suspensions.

Although it has been a difficult time for CLRG, An Coimisin remains committed to being fully transparent and driving positive change across the organization, a CLRG spokesperson said.

The process of appointing a change management consultancy firm to undertake a strategic review of CLRG at all levels is now underway.

Transformation is a gradual process and requires consistency and a multitude of small changes to be effective. Today, we are delighted to usher in another change that makes an important aspect of the organization and the competition both fairer and richer in its inclusiveness.

Many Irish dancers have long worried about the process dance teachers must go through before they are allowed to judge competitions – which can be a lucrative role for judges selected for Pan-Irish or World competitions. Critics of the process have said the CLRG referee exam can be opaque and confusing, and those who wish to repeat it must pay hundreds of dollars to do so.

When the cheating scandal came to light, concerns were also raised that close friendships or allegiances between some elite dance schools may have led to a quid pro quo deal between teachers and judges.

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