Oireachtas (Irish dance)

In modern competitive Irish dance, an oireachtas (plural: oireachtais) refers to an annual championship competition. Oireachtais are held by several Irish dance organisations globally, including An Coimisiún Le Rincí Gaelacha, An Comhdhail na Múinteoirí le Rincí Gaelacha, the World Irish Dance Association, and others. Many oireachtais include both solo and ceilí (team) events. The competitions vary in size, duration, and level of eligibility.

The word oireachtas means in "assembly" in the Irish language, and comes from the Old Irish airech, meaning "nobleman". While the phrase can be used to refer to any cultural festival or gathering, as well as to the Irish legislature, in Irish dancing it has come to refer to major top-level competitions, and is often casually translated as "championship".

Oireachtas was being used to refer to a large competition by the end of the 19th century, particularly the competitions organised in the Dublin area. With the formation of An Coimisíun in 1930, these championships took on extra significance for dancers registered with the organisation, and, after their first Oireachtas Rince Na Cruinne (World Championships) in 1970, many oireachtais became qualifying events for the Worlds.

Dancers competing at oireachtais in solo events generally must achieve a certain level of competency to be eligible for the competition. What this means varies depending on which organisation is running the Oireachtas, and in some cases which region the dancer is in. Some regions and organisations have very specific requirements, while sometimes eligibility is left to the discretion of the teacher. Local feisanna are used to practice dances that are to be performed at an oireachtas.

The solo competitions at an oireachtas are divided by gender and age. At larger competitions, there is typically an age group for each year of birth, from the 7 or 8 years age group up to the age of about 20. At An Coimisiún events, the 20 and over age group is usually the most senior, whereas the World Irish Dancing Association offers age groups up to 60 and over.

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