If you’re looking for some authentic Irish fun this St. Patrick’s Day, O’Blarney’s Irish Pub in Centralia is the place to be. Scrumptious Irish food, thirst-quenching Irish drinks and the opportunity to see traditional Irish dancing – who could ask for more?
This isn’t the “River Dance” style you may have seen on TV. According to Patricia Martig, Irish dance instructor, there are two types of traditional Irish dancing. One is like “River Dance,” very well known, with big elaborate performances. In that particular type of dancing, dancers wear hard shoes. “So that’s where you’ll hear the tap sound like tap shoes,” explains Martig. “It’s very fast and intricate.”
In the other type of traditional Irish dancing, dancers wear soft shoes, much like in ballet. These are called Guillie shoes. The name of this type of dancing is not as easy to say as “River Dance.” It’s called Slieveloughane, which is pronounced like sleeve-la-cane. Martig says that it is a traditional Irish dance that has been around for many years and she teaches it at Scoil Rince Slieveloughane (SRS), an Irish dance studio in Olympia. Founded in 1996 by Robert Haley, the school now has ten locations all over Puget Sound.
Both types of dancing require the upper body to remain straight and still. “It’s very challenging” says Martig. “All the movements are done with the arms held straight – even the leaps. We tend to think that would make the lower body stronger than the upper body but, really, the upper body is very strong because we have to work so hard at keeping it so straight.
Martig has Irish parents and Irish maternal grandparents, “So I’m 100 percent Irish,” she laughs.
She got interested in dance when she was about six years old. She didn’t like ballet but tried Irish dancing and immediately loved it. She has been dancing ever since. She has performed in many competitions and locations around the world.
Martig grew up in the San Francisco Bay area and moved to Washington over 20 years ago, where she connected with SRS and has been teaching ever since. SRS students compete, perform and also dance for recreation. Besides regularly scheduled classes throughout the year, the school also holds dance camps during the summer. Martig says the students will be attending a world competition at the end of March, a very exciting event for them.
“Children love dancing,” she says. “They think it’s fun. It’s fast paced and there’s something about the combination of dance and music that makes you feel happy. When moms and dads tell me that they’re in the store and the kids are dancing down the aisles, I love it. That’s when I know we’ve got them,” she adds with a laugh.
But there’s more to it than just dancing, Martig says. “We want to help each dancer become a success with their own goals. They learn how to set individual goals as well as team goals. They learn how to achieve. They learn to work through disappointment and they learn how to win with grace as well as lose with grace. It’s just a wonderful way to build great people.”
The SRS dancers do a lot of performances around St. Patrick’s Day, as expected. They did a small show last year at O’Blarney’s and are eager to do a larger show this year. Dancers range from age six to adult, and about ten of them will be performing at O’Blarney’s. The size of the dance groups at any given performance vary depending on the space available.
Jeff Malloy, co-owner of O’Blarney’s, is very excited to have the Irish dancers perform. “The costumes they wear are awesome – they’re very elaborate,” he says. “We’re happy to be able to host them and contribute to their continued success.”
Malloy also says there’s no better place to be on St. Patrick’s Day than O’Blarney’s. “Other people make Irish dishes once a year, but we offer it every day,” he explains. “We know how to do it right. You know what you’re going to get.”
Some of the traditional choices at O’Blarney’s are Corned Beef and Cabbage, Bangers and Mash, and Irish Lamb Stew, among others. Favorite drinks such as Irish Death, Green Beer, Guinness, Davison, Tullamore Dew and Irish Coffee are also available.
But the biggest difference, according to Malloy, is the entertainment. Along with the Irish Dancers, the Olympia Highlanders Pipes and Drum group will be performing throughout the day and “Dj That Guy” will be providing late-night entertainment. “With the energy that you’ll find here, we are the spot to be on St. Patrick’s Day,” says Malloy. “This is where everybody is going to be.”
This St. Patrick’s Day, come on down to O’Blarney’s in Centralia and enjoy a true, traditional experience. The SRS dancers will be performing from 6:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. and you don’t want to miss it.
O’Blarney’s Irish Pub
221 North Tower Ave.
Centralia WA 98531
360-807-4581
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