
The North American Irish Dancing Championships (NAIDC) 2025 took place from the July 3rd through July 9th in National Harbor, Maryland. There were 4,792 competitors from 357 schools and 15 different countries that came to compete for the North American title!
Although this is event is the North American nationals, it is open to anyone in the world that would like to compete, and hence dancers from across the globe make the voyage over to participate. The North American Irish dance championships has become a popular international competition that has a very high standard of competitive Irish dancing, including World champions and high placement medal holders making the international trip to compete for the title.
Locally, Con Martin Holleran from the Burke School of Irish dance won the North American Championship first place title in the boys under 9 championships. Con’s mom, Torrey Duns-Holleran, is a lead teacher at the Burke School of Irish dance, located Fairview Park, Ohio.

Torrey was a very successful champion dancer at the Burke School of Irish dance, and the apple did not fall far from the tree with her son, Con. Con is a very talented young dancer who dances with great maturity, poise, and true love for the dance. His rhythm is nothing short of amazing. Con holds many major tittles already in his young career and will be one to watch as he continues to grow up and wow the Irish dance world.
Con started his official dance journey at the age of five. He danced in his first regional major competition under five in the traditional set competition under seven and took 4th place, dancing up two years!
The following three years, he danced his solos under 8 and holds three first place titles at the Mid America Oireachtas (regionals). Con is in the highest competitive level of Irish dancing, Open Championships.
Congratulations Con on your North American Irish Dance Champion title, and congratulations to all of the local dancers who trained hard to be on that big stage. Northeast Ohio is proud to have such talented children keeping the Irish heritage alive and well.


