Parents of youngsters who are members of the Ard Rialla School of Dancing which has classes in the Donn Carragh Hotel, Lisnaskea (for beginners), Belturbet and Louth have come up with a catchy idea to raise funds to send 40 dancers, five teams, to Philadelphia next Easter to compete in the World Irish Dancing Championships.

Celebrity Jigs and Reels will follow the television format where a 'celebrity' is paired with a dancer and each couple - there are 19 couples in all - will do a two-minute routine, in the Slieve Russell Hotel on Thursday of next week, 25th September, starting at 8 o'clock.

The public will have a key role to play or, as well as the marks from the five judges, they will be able to vote as well, at one euro a vote. The 19 couples will be shortlisted to five for a recall and, out of those, the judges will have the sole say in deciding on an outright winner.

Lisnaskea parent, Kathleen Caulfield, whose 16-year old daughter, also Kathleen is a member of Sonia Leonard's Belturbet class, explained that the parents had come with the idea to help reduce the cost of sending 40 dancers from the Ard Rialla School to America.

"It is quite expensive, so we got together and decided if we had a fund-raiser, it would offset the expense where the children are concerned. There seems to be a great interest in it on the other side of the Border, especially in Cavan and even in Derrylin."

In fact, it's a Derrylin 'celebrity', popular pharmacist, Peader McGovern that 16-year old Kathleen has been paired with. Another Ard Rialla dancer, Megan Curran, who is also from Lisnaskea has been paired with this year's Fermanagh rose, Anne Marie Foster, and for good measure, Kaila McManus, from Enniskillen will be doing her routine with Cavan Councillor, Sean Smyth.

Admission, at 10 euro a time, is by ticket or at the door. Tickets are no available from Kathleen Caulfield at 677 21113, the Donn Carragh Hotel and in Peadar McGovern's Pharmacy in Derrylin, as well as at other outlets.

Given there are 19 couples and an interval before the five recalls when there will be guest musicians and singers, it promises to be a terrific night's entertainment, and all for a worthy cause.