The all-volunteer group had its start in Ballinamore, Co. Leitrim, and now boasts sparkling amateur performers from Counties Cavan, Monaghan, Fermanagh, Sligo, Longford and Roscommon.
In June, Shaylyn representative Jane Gilheaney visited New York on a fund-raising trip and to bring awareness to the Irish community here about Shaylyn’s story. Irish dance has been kept alive throughout the ages though the efforts of long-forgotten enthusiasts from mystical beginnings in ancient Ireland to the position it holds today: the group will pay tribute to this heritage with a one-night performance at the Town Hall theater in New York City on Oct. 14.
Shaylyn is Irish for “from the fairy fort,” and the group now numbers more than 35 people, over a hundred costumes, a detailed narrative and a projected backdrop of original art work by native artists of the region of Leitrim.
The idea to use this name came from a fairy fort beside where Gilheaney grew up — Jane Gilheaney’s sisters are also involved: Martha is lead dancer and sister Laura is the narrator. This fairy fort was an important feature of their childhood growing up in rural Ireland. Such mystical forts are protected by law in Ireland and any new building must be at least 30 ft away from a fort and the story goes that to damage a fairy fort brings endless bad luck.
So far, Shaylyn has been experiencing good luck, however, not least with the help of New York’s Leitrim Society. The Leitrimites here in New York had a fundraiser in June, but the necessary funds were not fully raised on that occasion.
“Just getting to perform in New York is making it,” Gilheaney said. “I remember a local woman saying that no one would even stand up on the street to watch this kind of thing, but luckily for Shaylyn we never listened to anything like that and now look where we are — it cost ‘Riverdance’