Shawbrook Barn Dance Beech Party

Dance the night away in Shawbrook at their barn dance beech party

Every year, thousands of people flock to Stradbally for Electric Picnic to revel in the freedom of the forrest, the mystic and of course the music. At €250 a pop, it’s an expensive slice of life experience but one that none the less is a necessary part of life. However, as alternative festivals emerge at a fraction of the cost, there is more and more reason to support local. Introducing; Shawbrook school of dance.

Nestled in the heart of Longford, in the sleepy town of Legan, Shawbrook is an undisturbed wonderland of indescribable beauty. One would hardly imagine Legan even exists. While it is picturesque, it’s a typical and unremarkable Irish village and is not somewhere you would pass through by accident.

At the end of this village “passed the pub and over the hill” as one local gentleman directed me, lies the secret of Shawbrook; a famous dance school which has produced some of the top dancers in Ireland and indeed the world.

You would nearly drive by Shawbrook, only for the small, worn, barely visible sign at the entrance. Immediately you’re transported into this private world of visionary and dance, an impenetrable space of talent and creativity. Shawbrook is like no other place you could comprehend, right at our doorstep.

Unless you grew up within the world of dance there’d be no reason to go there. It’s a a haven for dance set on a traditional 18th century farm in a forest of oak, ash and beech trees and is recognised internationally as a centre of excellence for dance and performance. Their gates have now been opened, much like when Willie Wonka opened the doors to the chocolate factory, for the lucky few of you who bag tickets to the Barn Dance Beech Party.

Featuring three acts, performing on these fantastic grounds, the Beech Party will take over Shawbrook this Saturday, May 21st. The line-up includes Bianca Fachel, Roger O’Shea/ St Simeon & The Stylites and Prison Love.

Bianca Fachel is an artist from Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Now she is living in Dublin where she’s developing several projects in music and her original songs.

St Simeon and the Stylites are from Donegal and describe themselves as Art Rock and Prison Love are a string band and a favourite of all at Shawbrook.

The gates open at 6pm, and you can expect a wonderful evening of music, dance and performance. It is a unique opportunity to experience all that is wonderful about Irish festivals and music, right in the heart of Longford.

Tickets are only €20, and are available from the Shawbrook website. You can find more details about the event on Facebook.

Bianca Fachel

St Simeon and the Stylites

Prison Love

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