Dirty Dancing: The Inside Story of the Irish Dancing Cheating Scandal

by Ellen Coyne

'A fascinating exposé on the history and crazy controversies' MARK TIGHE

From Feis fixing to false allegations, why are the dance halls across this island such a hotbed for rumour and controversy?

Irish dancing may sparkle on the stage – glittering costumes, perfect smiles, flawless footwork – but behind the polished performances lies a world far less picture perfect.

When an explosive whistleblower email lands in the inbox of journalist Ellen Coyne, she is pulled into the high stakes, fiercely protected realm of competitive Irish dance. What she uncovers is a culture simmering with resentment and allegations of feis fixing, toxic politics, whispered scandals and rumours that reach the biggest stages in the world.

As Ellen follows the trail, the immaculate world of Irish dancing begins to crack open, revealing a community where ambition can turn corrosive and where the pursuit of victory often comes at an unbearable cost.

Genres: Nonfiction

320 pages, Paperback

Expected publication June 16, 2026

Reviews

[Ruth McAvinia · Rating 2 out of 5]

As frustrating as this investigation was for the author, the resulting book is also frustrating. Too many silly mistakes (names like John McColgan and Areleen Ní Bhaoill shouldn’t have been published incorrectly) and lack of internal logic (at no point is the actual process of a world championship and the rounds involved described). So you get one third jumbled history, one third what was already in the papers, and one third on the heap of nothing that happened next. Maybe it was all just a bit rushed but needs a bit of cleaning up.

[Laura Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty accurate depiction of the corruption that goes on in Irish dancing. It’s a pity that the sport has gone so far beyond what true Irish dancing should be. It’s more pageantry now than anything else.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was genuinely fascinating. A lesson in how not to handle a cheating scandal.