Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne
Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne (Irish for "Irish Dance Championship of the World") is the An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha (CLRG)'s competition for the World Championships of Irish Dance. Nearly all other organizations host their own world championship competitions, but CLRG's is the largest and attracts dancers from the second widest range of countries (the first being the World Irish Dance Association, which specializes in Mainland European and Asian dancing).
The competition is held annually in various locations. It was held in Dublin for ten years, then moved to a variety of Irish cities for two decades. The championship branched out to Scotland in 2002, the United States in 2009, and Canada in 2015, now rotating between all four locations. It was canceled in 2001 due to the Foot-and-Mouth disease endemic in Ireland and the United Kingdom, and in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The first worlds, held in 1970, included ten solo competitions, three ceili dances, and two figure dances. Today, there are thirteen women's solo competitions, twelve men's competitions, three four-hand ceilis, five girls' eight-hand ceilis, four mixed eight-hand ceilis, four figure dances, a Dance Drama championship, and and a Freestyle Championship in honor of legendary dancer Michael Flatley.
Prior to 2019, the World Championship awarded women's competitions differently than the general 50% recall, recalling only fifty dancers total to the set round and awarding a specific percentage of dancers with a World Medal, a special award that allows them to qualify for the next year's World Championships without competing in any other qualifying competitions. Currently, girls' competitions Under 11 and Under 12 recall 50%. Girls' and women's competitions Under 13 and older are split into two sections, where everyone dances two rounds and a 50% recall moves on to a Day Two, after which there is another 50% recall for the final round (therefore, a 25% total recall and five total rounds danced by the top dancers). The World Medal system remains the same.
In addition to the general awards, there is also the Aisling Award for solo competitions, presented to the highest placing dancer from a country where Irish Dance is currently still in development (Africa, Asia, Mainland Europe, Mexico, South America). In the 1970s and 80s, the Overseas Award was presented to the highest placing dancer from a country outside of Ireland and the United Kingdom, usually the United States or Australia. Recently, the Aisling Award has been presented to dancers from countries such as Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Mexico, Austria, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Qatar, and Poland.
Locations since 1970
| 1970-79 | Dublin, Ireland |
| 1980-81 | Dún Laoghaire, Ireland |
| 1982 | Galway, Ireland |
| 1983 | Dublin, Ireland |
| 1984 | Cork City, Ireland |
| 1985 | Malahide, Ireland |
| 1986 | Limerick City, Ireland |
| 1987-89 | Galway, Ireland |
| 1990 | Cork City, Ireland |
| 1991-92 | Limerick City, Ireland |
| 1993 | Mosney, Ireland |
| 1994 | Dublin, Ireland |
| 1995 | Galway, Ireland |
| 1996 | Dublin, Ireland |
| 1997 | Galway, Ireland |
| 1998-99 | Ennis, Ireland |
| 2000 | Belfast, Ireland |
| 2001 | Cancelled due to Foot-and-Mouth outbreak |
| 2002 | Glasgow, Scotland |
| 2003 | Killarney, Ireland |
| 2004 | Belfast, Ireland |
| 2005 | Ennis, Ireland |
| 2006 | Belfast, Ireland |
| 2007 | Glasgow, Scotland |
| 2008 | Belfast, Ireland |
| 2009 | Philadelphia, PA (USA) |
| 2010 | Glasgow, Scotland |
| 2011 | Dublin, Ireland |
| 2012 | Belfast, Ireland |
| 2013 | Boston, MA (USA) |
| 2014 | London, UK |
| 2015 | Montreal, QC (Canada) |
| 2016 | Glasgow, Scotland |
| 2017 | Dublin, Ireland |
| 2018 | Glasgow, Scotland |
| 2019 | Greensboro, NC (USA) |
| 2020/2021 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 |
| 2022 | Dublin, Ireland |
| 2023 | Montreal, QC (Canada) |
| 2024 | Glasgow, Scotland |
| 2025 | Dublin, Ireland |
| 2025 | Schaumburg, IL (USA) |
