Ciaran and Aine jive to victory at Strictly Clon

DESPITE the freezing temperatures outside, the ballroom of the Dumore House Hotel was certainly hotting up last Saturday night as the dancers took the stage at the final of Strictly Clon Dancing 2016.

From the high-energy cha cha to the sensual salsa, the twelve finalists on the night pulled out all the stops to entertain the audience and the judges alike.

Such was the anticipation for the final that some ticket holders arrived a whole two hours before the show started, just to get the best seats in the house. Now in its second year, Strictly Clon Dancing was another resounding success for Clonakilty’s GAA and rugby clubs who worked together in a unique collaboration to fundraise for both.

‘The committee were delighted with this year’s event and on the night Ger McCarthy, chairman of Clonakilty GAA and Willie Wilcox, chairman of Clonakilty Rugby Club, thanked the dancers for their commitment, the sponsors and the appreciative audience who made it another successful Strictly experience,’ said Helen Houlihan, PRO of Strictly Clon Dancing.

A total of 12 couples took to the dancefloor showcasing their skills in samba, jive and swing which didn’t disappoint the crowd. 

Aine Lynch and Ciaran Crowley – the latter was an escort at this year’s Rose of Tralee – were the eventual winners who wowed both the judges and the audience with their jive to Proud Mary. Runners-up on the night were Paul Finn and Marie Stanley, who danced the cha cha to Uptown Girl. 

The winning couple, Aine and Ciaran, treated the audience to their winning performance again and were later presented with their prize of a night’s B&B plus dinner for two (for each member of the couple) at the 5-star Muckross Park Hotel & Spa in Killarney, sponsored by The Southern Star, and each also received a glass trophy.

 The trophies were specially designed and sponsored by George Duggan of Cork Crystal.

The judging panel on the night was made up of Karl Henry from RTÉ’s Operation Transformation, local actor Nora Scannell, ballet teacher Sarah Callanan, school principal Barth Harrington and The Southern Star’s Kieran O’Mahony and the standard of dancing was exceptional.

And the dancing isn’t finished just yet. 

A special charity Strictly Clon Dancing event takes place in Ahamilla GAA clubhouse on Saturday Dec 3rd  at 8pm, with Miriam O’Callaghan acting as MC, along with Kevin O’Donovan. 

Most of the dancers who took part in this year’s competition will once again take to the floor and they have chosen the local charities that will benefit from the night. 

The charities are the Saoirse Unit in Mount Carmel Hospital, Co-Action West Cork, West Cork Rapid Response and Cope Clonakilty. 

Tickets for the charity event are €20 and are available from Fuschia Footwear, O’Donovan’s Hotel and Scully’s Butchers & Deli.