Even though Irish dancing is to have been created for a sense of nationalism, it is said to have roots in the Druids who lived in Ireland and the Celts' folk dancing. Ireland is a land that is connected to its past and this is one way to honor and celebrate the past.
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Irish dancing is a performance. According to Sims and Stephens in Living Folklore: An Introduction to the Study of People and Their Traditions, state that a performance is "Performance is an expressive activity that requires participation, heightens our enjoyment of an experience, and invites response." (Sims and Stephens 2011, 131) Irish dancing performances and competitions would fall into those categories. They also stated that, "in order for a performance to happen, a recognized setting must exist (participants have to know a performance is taking place) and participants (performers and audience) must be present.)" (Sims and Stephens 2011, 131). The setting is the competition or performance, the participants are the performers and the audience.
History
Irish Dance was first created to give Ireland an identity and to boost nationalism after it declared independence from England in the 1920s. Ireland wanted to be perceived differently from England and Irish dance was one of the ways they created to do that. The Irish Dancing Commission, or An Coimisiun le Rinci Gaelacha as it is known in Gaelic, was created in 1929. (Foley 2001, 36) The Commission is the one who started with competitions.
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Timeline
1921
Ireland and England declare a cease fire in the Anglo-Irish War, a two year war for Ireland's independence from England. A few months later a treaty is signed. (Biege 2020)
1929
The Irish Dancing Commission, An Coimisiun le Rinci Gaelacha, is created. (Foley 2001, 36)
1937
A new constitution declares Ireland a "sovereign, independent, democratic state." (Biege 2020)
Note: The North of Ireland is still part of the UK
1970
Ireland started the annual World Championship competitions. (Claddagh Design 2017)