Ballroom blitz at Baltinglass lip sync

ROUNDING off the last day of winter, a lip sync battle took over the ballroom of the Woodford Dolmen Hotel.

The dance battle between groups of teachers, students, GAA players and parents from Baltinglass GAA and Scoil Chonglais on Saturday 28 February was to fundraise for a new full-size astro-turf pitch at the school and to redevelop the GAA grounds.

Twelve colourful acts took to the stage: The Greatest Showman, The Greasers, Young Men, Footloose, No Direction, The Spice Gang, The Dynamos, Saddle Up and Slay, The Proud Marys The Belan Street Boys, The Backpitch Belters and The Hold Me Now Lads.

But it was the intermediate ladies’ football team group, The Proud Marys, with their rendition of a Tina Turner mix in glitzy costumes that won over judges Tom Fox, Emily Flanagan and John McGrath.

The winning team consisted of Tanisha Daly Danne, Sophie Kavanagh, Eabha Canavan, Kate Howard, Orlaith O’Toole, Chloe O’Neill, Leah Manley, Valerie Doogue, Rebecca Byrne, Hannah McHugh and Emma Doyle.

‘They chose this lip sync act to have a bit of fun, show their team spirit and entertain the crowd. After a busy season on the pitch, it was a great opportunity to step outside their comfort zone,’ read the introduction on Baltinglass GAA Facebook page.

It was “a great night” of entertainment, agreed Wilma Murphy, teacher at Scoil Chonglais. Many of the students in the school are also members of the GAA club, making it a perfect collaboration.

Olivia Ward coached the teams in the lead-up to the night and Kieran Burke of Blessington Community College kept the energy flowing as MC. The team effort meant the event was sold out.

Wilma said she wanted to thank the organisers, their main sponsor Dar Golf, the many other sponsors and “the entire community for their support”.