Chapter 1:Jimmy's Family Background
Chapter SummaryJimmy was born and raised in Listowel. He attended the local boys’ school, where the Principal was Bryan MacMahon, the well-known Kerry author and playwright. Jimmy’s first introduction to dance was when MacMahon brought Liam Ó Duinín, a former pupil of Jeremiah Molyneaux, into the school to teach the students. Ó Duinín taught in the school for a period of about six weeks. As an adult, Jimmy worked as a shoemaker, making handmade shoes.
Chapter 2: Learning to Dance
Chapter Summary: 00:00 / Part 1 - Dance Teacher Liam Ó Duinín, pupil of Jeremiah Molyneaux. Jimmy was born and raised in Listowel. He attended the local boys’ school, where the Principal was Bryan MacMahon, the well-known Kerry author and playwright. Jimmy’s first introduction to dance was when MacMahon brought Liam Ó Duinín, a former pupil of Jeremiah Molyneaux, into the school to teach the students. Ó Duinín taught in the school for a period of about six weeks. As an adult Jimmy worked as a shoe-maker making handmade shoes. 03:25 / Part 2 - ‘The Blackbird’ - the Most Popular Dance in North Kerry Having initially been introduced to dance at school, Jimmy continued to attend classes with Liam Ó Duinín on Saturday mornings. It cost six pence to attend a class and Jimmy picked up the steps easily. After a while Ó Duinín allowed Jimmy to teach the beginners for him. Jimmy also visited Ó Duinín , who lived alone, every night and he learnt additional dance steps during those visits. He developed a close relationship with Ó Duinín and traveled everywhere with him. 05:03 / Part 3 - Liam Ó Duinín, Traditional Dance Teacher Jimmy learnt ‘The Blackbird’ from Liam Ó Duinín, who had himself learnt it from Jeremiah Molyneaux. On one occasion Ó Duinín brought Jimmy to Ballydesmond where they met Pádraig O’Keeffe, the well-known traditional musician. Jimmy considered it a great honour that O’Keeffe played for him while he danced and also drew attention to some finer details of ‘The Blackbird.’ 07:47 / Part 4 - Liam Ó Duinín, the Reluctant Dancer Jimmy never actually saw Liam Ó Duinín perform a ‘full dance’, even though he taught the steps to his pupils. Ó Duinín was also an accomplished fiddle player. Overall, Jimmy probably spent five or six years learning dance, often five nights a week, from Ó Duinín. 09:53 / Part 5 - Liam Ó Duinín and Jeremiah Molyneaux The Ó Duinín family had a public house in Ballyduff where Jeremiah Molyneaux often stayed. It was there, in his family home, that the young Liam Ó Duinín learnt dance from Molyneaux. Later on, when Molyneaux was a pensioner, he would often call to Liam Ó Duinín's house in Church Street, Listowel. 11:22 / Part 6 - Jimmy’s Competitive Dancing Days As a young person during the 1950s, Jimmy participated in local dance competitions. He also won the O’Hagan Cup, which was presented to the winner in a National competition. In addition, Jimmy won the Munster Belt, for which he had to compete against older and more experienced dancers. 13:58 / Part 7 - Liam Ó Duinín’s Dance Classes As a young person during the 1950s Jimmy participated in local dance competitions. He also won the O’Hagan Cup, which was presented to the winner in a National competition. In addition, Jimmy won the Munster Belt for which he had to compete against older and more experienced dancers.
Chapter 3: Teaching Dance
Chapter Summary: 00:00 / Part 1 - Jimmy’s Dance School Jimmy set up his own dance school when he was about 18 years of age. He held his first class in the local boys’ school, Listowel. Over time Jimmy extended his tuition to cover schools in north Kerry, west Limerick and north Cork. Classes usually took place after school but occasionally he was invited to hold a class during school hours. It was, however, necessary for pupils to attend private classes in order for them to master steps from the Jeremiah Molyneaux repertoire. 03:22 / Part 2 - Everyone Should Learn to Dance Jimmy recalled that he completed his dance teaching qualification or Teagascóir Choimisiún le Rinci Gaelacha, TCRG for short, in the late 1960s. However, having the qualification did not make any real difference to his teaching style. Jimmy had no real interest in entering his students in dance competitions. He believed that it was more important for everyone to have an opportunity to learn to dance. 05:50 / Part 3 - ‘He Could Write His Name with His Feet’ The variety of steps and lack of repetition in the North Kerry style of dance is, in Jimmy’s opinion, what makes it so special. He was always interested in movement, particularly movement of the feet. Jimmy recalled the phrase, ‘he could write his name with his feet.’ This expression was often used by old people to describe a good dancer and its descriptive nature greatly impressed Jimmy. 07:36 / Part 4 - Jimmy’s Dancing Classes As a young adult, Jimmy worked in his father’s shop making shoes until around three o’clock each afternoon before leaving to teach dance. Eventually however, he gave up shoe-making in order to concentrate solely on dance. Each week Jimmy travelled extensively as he hosted classes all over north Kerry, north Cork and west Limerick. In addition, he held evening classes for adults, which often kept him out late at night. 09:35 / Part 5 - The Decline of the Step Dancing Tradition Jimmy is of the opinion that dance today has little style and that it has lost the wide variety of steps it once had. He remarked that modern dancers ‘run around the stage’ and that even the music is distorted.' Riverdance' may, Jimmy comments, have swept the world but, he states, it has few steps. Instead the dancers are like clockwork pieces. In the past, according to Jimmy, a good dancer could always produce a step that was unique to them and which nobody else was familiar with.
Chapter 4: Calendar Customs and International Attention
Chapter Summary: 00:00 / Part 1 - Traditional Calendar Customs of North Kerry Jimmy often participated in the traditional St Stephen’s Day (Dec. 26) custom of the Wren Boys. This involved groups of men and boys, dressed in weird and wonderful costumes, going from door to door singing, dancing and playing music. They collected money, which in modern times, was usually used for some charitable purpose. A similar custom, known as the Biddies, was associated with the Feast of St Brighid on 1 February. 04:16 / Part 2 - Listowel Fleadh Cheoil Jimmy never met Jeremiah Molyneaux. However he did dance with some of Molyneaux’s students on the streets of Listowel while attending the Fleadh Cheoil. Jimmy recalls dancing with Mossie Walsh, Jerry Nolan, Jack Lyons, Paddy White and Mikey Carroll, all former pupils of Molyneaux. Together they danced the lead of a reel, followed by an individual step by each dancer. They concluded by dancing the lead together once more. 05:41 / Part 3 - Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod Jimmy recalls how he and his students were invited to participate in the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in Wales from the 1980s onwards. There, his students performed Kerry Polkas and Kerry step dances, mainly hornpipes. Jimmy introduced battering into the polkas performed by his students and they achieved great success. 07:58 / Part 4 - More Llangollen Memories Jimmy again recalls the success achieved by his students at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in Wales. They were first invited to take part in 1982. This international competition involved 42 countries from all over the world. Every group was allowed a maximum of 20 performers on stage at a time, including both dancers and musicians. A maximum of eight minutes was allowed for each performance. 12:44 / Part 5 - Meeting Royalty Jimmy recalls that, on one occasion, Prince Charles attended the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, accompanied by his Irish bodyguard. The Prince engaged Jimmy in conversation as he and his students were waiting back stage. They spoke about County Kerry and dance. 14:33 / Part 6 - The German Harmonie Festival Jimmy and his students also participated in the HARMONIE Festival, which takes place in Germany every six years. It is an international event, with many participating countries, similar to the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod. Jimmy recounts how he and his dancers secured first place [in 1999] and won a large ceramic trophy. 21:05 / Part 7- A taste of Kerry - Poetry and Dance Jimmy met the poet Anne Le Marquand Hartigan at Listowel Writer’s Week [in 1996]. They collaborated together for an event, ‘A Taste of Kerry’, which was hosted in the National Concert Hall, Dublin. Jimmy had choreographed steps to Anne’s poetry, which astounded the audience. The two poems that Jimmy danced to were, ‘What Way the Wind Blows’ [Jig time] and ‘Little Lord of Death’ [Reel time].
Chapter 5:Dance An Important Life Skill
Chapter Summary Throughout his life Jimmy has greatly enjoyed being a dancer. He discusses the benefits of being able to dance, sing or play music. These are, in Jimmy’s opinion, skills that ensure acceptance anywhere in the world. They also instill a sense of personal pride and self-confidence, according to Jimmy. He also remarks upon the enthusiasm parents always displayed in wanting their children to learn how to dance.
Dance Extracts
Jimmy learned this jig from his former dance teacher teacher Liam Ó Duinín, Listowel. Liam was a former pupil of Jeremiah Molyneaux.
Jimmy Hickey performs a Jig.
St Patrick's Day Set Dance (Jimmy Hickey’s own version)