There is something about Ireland that captures the world’s imagination. Whether it’s the scenic beauty or accents, there’s something that draws us in. 

Long known for bagpipes, the Irish showed they were much more when Michael Flatley’s Riverdance and Lord of the Dance took the world by storm. Later, the singing group Celtic Woman became a favorite.

Groups are continuing to share the culture of the Emerald Isle, and A Taste of Ireland are one of those.

They are currently touring the U.S. with a scheduled stop at Embassy Theatre on Saturday, Nov. 9, on their calendars.

“The crowds have been brilliant,” dancer Cian Walsh said. “We’ve been getting standing ovations each night. They’ve loved it.”

Visiting the USA

While speaking with him by phone, Walsh was actually boarding a bus in Iowa City, Iowa, that would be taking them to Springfield, Illinois, for a performance that night.

“We usually have about six shows a week, so we’re pretty nonstop at the moment,” he said.

Walsh said the group’s tour began in Australia in March before they moved on to New Zealand in August. From there, it was on to The States, where the tour kicked off Sept. 20 in Provo, Utah.

“We’ve been on the road quite some time,” he said.

“We’re here until Christmas Eve, then I’ll go back to Ireland, and some of the troupe will go back to Australia, England, or back to their homes in America. We’ll split up and probably reconvene in 2025 and come back to America and have some more fun out here.”

After coming from the breathtaking sights of his homeland, as well as Australia and New Zealand, a stop in Utah was a good spot before embarking on the flatlands of the Midwest. However, Walsh has been soaking it all in.

“It’s all new places we have not seen,” he said. “We started in Utah at Salt Lake City. We’ve seen some pretty extraordinary scenery. We drove past the Grand Canyon and different stuff like that. We’ve been quite blessed.”

Popularity only growing

Along with being blessed with scenery, the troupe have also been blessed with enthusiastic crowds who are enamored by the Irish dance.

Requiring intricate footwork that consists of a stiff upper body, dancing is a part of life in Ireland. While many take part in it for social reasons, there are also plenty of formal occasions for it as well as competitions.

“It’s taught in schools. From when we’re at a young age, we’ll be in school at 6, 7, 8 years old, and we’ll go learn dances,” Walsh said.

And those lessons have extended well beyond Ireland.

“There are a lot more Irish dance schools in America now and even all across the world,” Walsh said. “It’s very worldwide right now. You’ll find schools in China, Chile, and all over the place, which is crazy. It’s definitely grown in the last 10-15 years.”

More than dancing

That uptick in schools coincides with spectacular shows. Sure, there’s world-class dancing, but it’s also the music and stories, which are all there in A Taste of Ireland’s shows.

“Taste of Ireland is basically giving you the story of Ireland,” he said. “It takes you on a journey of Ireland from its creation to The (Great) Famine, The (Easter) Rising, and up to modern day.”

It’s a history lesson that is sure to keep you engaged.

“I think it’s a combination of the music and the Irish dance,” Walsh said when asked what draws such crowds to their shows. “All the dancing is live, there’s no tracks. We have mics on the stage, so everything you hear is coming from our tap shows and the live music we have. The interaction of the live music with the crowd, they just really love it. They love the culture, and everyone has a little bit of Irish in them.”

So, on Nov. 9, you’ll want to be at The Embassy for a production that will keep you fully engaged.

“You’re definitely in for a lot of high energy,” Walsh said of the show. “We give the audience a little bit of banter and they give us some back. There’s obviously a lot of Irish dancing, but there’s aspects of contemporary, there’s a lot of acting, some numbers where we’re struggling, other numbers when we’re angry, and a couple of numbers where we’re as lively as can be and we’re trying to get the audience involved. It is a brilliant show.”