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.
The World Championships awards competitions with high entries (60+) differently than the standard 50% recall, taking 30 dancers plus 1/3 of competitors up to a maximum of 50. A specific percentage of dancers are also awarded a World Medal, which immediately qualifies them for the next year's championships. Between 2019 and 2024, Girls' and Womens' competitions Under 13 and older were split into two sections, where 50% of competitors from each section moved on to a second day of dancing with a 50% recall (therefore, a 25% total recall).
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[edit]
| 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) |
