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John Flanagan Memorial Feis in Oxford
In the past the Oxford Feis was an annual event that ran for about 20 years and was organised by the late John Flanagan with his sister Margaret Doyle.
His daughter Marion decided to continue the feis in his memory, and the John Flanagan Memorial Feis is now in its fifth year.
All of its proceeds are donated to the charity, Cancer Research UK. Last year Marion’s Oxford-based dance school joined with Ian Boyd’s Swindon-based school, and their joint school Scoil Rince Faylinn was formed.
This meant that the feis organisation was spread among a greater set of helpers this year.
Once again it was a well-organised affair, with all dances running remarkably to time over the two days, in spite of the large entries in some age groups.
A highlight of the feis has always been the fun sketch which the audience love. In the past I have watched an anonymous couple mimic Michael Flatley and Jean Butler, or a wayward donkey giving a creditable demonstration of the rising step.
This year the same couple, I think, decided to become a ‘mad cow’ that danced its way onto the stage and entertained us all with its own version of a four-legged heavy jig.
Marion Flanagan told me that this was a most successful feis in terms of entry numbers, charitable fundraising and the sheer enjoyment of dancers and their audience.
She was keen to emphasise that much of the credit for this is due to the support of parents and dancers from their joint school, Scoil Rince Faylinn
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