Chapter Eight
'Dancing into the Future'
Sixteen months had passed since that night of the dance finals and as Nancy prepared to don a wedding dress for the second time in her life, her brother-in-law James is helping Richard to get into his wedding suit. Half an hour later a taxi with a ramp that is capable of carrying a wheelchair arrives to take Richard to 'St Patrick's Catholic Church' in Portlaw.
Fifteen minutes later, Nancy arrives in bridal costume and veil, accompanied by her brother-in-law Richard who is giving her away. All Portlaw turns out for the wedding of their only ever 'All Ireland' dancing champion and her partner from County Kerry and one hour later Nancy Swales becomes Nancy Leavy.
Fifteen minutes later, Nancy arrives in bridal costume and veil, accompanied by her brother-in-law Richard who is giving her away. All Portlaw turns out for the wedding of their only ever 'All Ireland' dancing champion and her partner from County Kerry and one hour later Nancy Swales becomes Nancy Leavy.
As the assembled guests walk back down the hill for a grand reception that has been put on inside 'The Cotton Mill' public house, much talk is being held about the controversy which surrounded this year's 'All Ireland Ballroom Dance Final'.
You see, three days after Richard and Nancy had been awarded the 1961 'All Ireland Winner's Trophy', one of the competition organisers came and paid Richard a visit in hospital. He told Richard that the judge's panel had received an official complaint against their victory, and if such a complaint was to prove accurate, then it would automatically result in their instant disqualification from the contest as winners of the competition.
After the clarification of some details, and in particular the residential address of Nancy at the time of competition entry, Richard was duly informed that he and Nancy had officially been disqualified and that the winner's trophy would instead pass to contestants number seven from County Sligo. "What about the competition trophy?" Richard was asked by the organiser adding, "We shall most certainly be requiring its immediate return!"
Richard looked at the organiser sternly and replied. "There'll be no cup coming back your way, on that you have my sacred word. That cup was presented to me and Nancy for being the best Ballroom dancers in the whole of Ireland on the night of the final and as it now says so in your own engraving, its staying with us!"
It would seem that at the point of competition entry in the County Kerry heats, Richard's residential address was County Kerry and his partner Nancy's was County Waterford. Without having given the matter a second thought, Richard had entered both parties as being resident in County Kerry.
Naturally, the dancing organisers of the National heats couldn't possibly allow two dancing partners from separate counties to be recognised as 'All Ireland Champions' as such a situation would have been judged unfair to all other competition competitors. To have allowed this administrative oversight by Richard to have stood would have been tantamount to allowing someone from outside County Kerry to be the partner of the Kerry dancing champion and to allow County Waterford to have had three dancers instead of two represent them on the night of the finals.
However, as far as the folk of Portlaw were concerned, one of their own had been declared as the 1961 'All Ireland Winner' and had received a winner's cup inscribed as such! Nancy Swales was the winner without a doubt in their mind and no objection by any Sligo poor loser would change that whatever the competition organisers had decided by a change of heart.
You see, three days after Richard and Nancy had been awarded the 1961 'All Ireland Winner's Trophy', one of the competition organisers came and paid Richard a visit in hospital. He told Richard that the judge's panel had received an official complaint against their victory, and if such a complaint was to prove accurate, then it would automatically result in their instant disqualification from the contest as winners of the competition.
After the clarification of some details, and in particular the residential address of Nancy at the time of competition entry, Richard was duly informed that he and Nancy had officially been disqualified and that the winner's trophy would instead pass to contestants number seven from County Sligo. "What about the competition trophy?" Richard was asked by the organiser adding, "We shall most certainly be requiring its immediate return!"
Richard looked at the organiser sternly and replied. "There'll be no cup coming back your way, on that you have my sacred word. That cup was presented to me and Nancy for being the best Ballroom dancers in the whole of Ireland on the night of the final and as it now says so in your own engraving, its staying with us!"
It would seem that at the point of competition entry in the County Kerry heats, Richard's residential address was County Kerry and his partner Nancy's was County Waterford. Without having given the matter a second thought, Richard had entered both parties as being resident in County Kerry.
Naturally, the dancing organisers of the National heats couldn't possibly allow two dancing partners from separate counties to be recognised as 'All Ireland Champions' as such a situation would have been judged unfair to all other competition competitors. To have allowed this administrative oversight by Richard to have stood would have been tantamount to allowing someone from outside County Kerry to be the partner of the Kerry dancing champion and to allow County Waterford to have had three dancers instead of two represent them on the night of the finals.
However, as far as the folk of Portlaw were concerned, one of their own had been declared as the 1961 'All Ireland Winner' and had received a winner's cup inscribed as such! Nancy Swales was the winner without a doubt in their mind and no objection by any Sligo poor loser would change that whatever the competition organisers had decided by a change of heart.
Life between Richard and Nancy after their marriage remained as happy as it could be under the circumstances. Two and a half years after the dancing competition Richard underwent another operation which eventually enabled him to regain his walking ability. Although it took a considerable length of time before he could walk well enough to get around the village unaided, in time and with a pronounced limp and the aid of a walking stick, he could manage to negotiate most tasks requiring mobility.
Today, Richard and Nancy live in a thatched cottage property off the Curraghmore Road and though they still love to listen to their dance music on the gramophone, Richard now accepts that he has already had 'the last dance' with his wife Nancy.
No longer able to dance to the beat of his Latin American dance music, he seems content to listen to it in the company of his wife Nancy at every opportunity.
No longer able to dance to the beat of his Latin American dance music, he seems content to listen to it in the company of his wife Nancy at every opportunity.
Every Thursday evening the couple put on their coats and make their way towards the 'Cotton Mill' where they stay for an evening's entertainment. The evening always starts with the weekly quiz, followed by a singing group.
As the quiz is about to start, the proprietor of the 'Cotton Mill', Maggie, starts all the quiz competitors off with an easy question that all are guaranteed to get.
"Now then, quieten down you rowdy lot and let's get this evening's quiz underway," Maggie announces. "The first question of the night is an easy one for any Portlaw man or woman. For one point who was the woman contestant who won the 1961 'All Ireland Ballroom Dancing Cup', and for the second point which county did she hail from?"
"Was that the woman and her chap from Sligo?" one new resident to Portlaw asked.
"No it wasn't, you traitor!" came back a volley of protest from the assembled crowd.
"Tell the newcomer who she was and where she hailed from!" Maggie urged the pub full of locals.
In one collective voice came back the combined response of all present, "Nancy Swales, and she hailed from Portlaw, County Waterford!"
"That's right," yelled Maggie, "And if anyone doubts it then all they have to do is to look at the inscription of the cup that can be found in the home of Richard and Nancy Leavy of Curraghmore Road."
As the quiz is about to start, the proprietor of the 'Cotton Mill', Maggie, starts all the quiz competitors off with an easy question that all are guaranteed to get.
"Now then, quieten down you rowdy lot and let's get this evening's quiz underway," Maggie announces. "The first question of the night is an easy one for any Portlaw man or woman. For one point who was the woman contestant who won the 1961 'All Ireland Ballroom Dancing Cup', and for the second point which county did she hail from?"
"Was that the woman and her chap from Sligo?" one new resident to Portlaw asked.
"No it wasn't, you traitor!" came back a volley of protest from the assembled crowd.
"Tell the newcomer who she was and where she hailed from!" Maggie urged the pub full of locals.
In one collective voice came back the combined response of all present, "Nancy Swales, and she hailed from Portlaw, County Waterford!"
"That's right," yelled Maggie, "And if anyone doubts it then all they have to do is to look at the inscription of the cup that can be found in the home of Richard and Nancy Leavy of Curraghmore Road."
The End.
