A Co Louth teenager has become the third generation in his family to win the Irish Dancing World Championships, more than 50 years after it was won by his grandfather.
Daragh Roddy first took up Irish dancing when he was around nine-years-old, continuing a trait that has become almost a tradition in his family.
His grandparents Tony and Una - who first met on the dancing scene - taught Irish dancing for many years in Co Louth after they finished taking part in competitions.
Tony says that his mother introduced him and his two sisters to Irish dancing, and that he first took part in the world competition in 1970.
Two years later, Tony won his first world championship at the Mansion House in Dublin. He continued his winning streak in 1973 and 1974.
"To win a world championship at anything, is a wonderful feeling. And it was a wonderful feeling for me," he says.
"At that stage in your own field, you're on top of the world."
His children, Pat and Niamh, also won world championships and both toured with Riverdance after competing.
"Both my parents were Irish dance teachers, so it was a very natural progression for both myself and my sister," says Pat, Daragh's father, who won the world championships in 1989 and 1995. He says that he came second in the competition three times before his first victory.
By the time Pat won his second world championship, he was already performing for Riverdance and was an understudy to Michael Flatley. Pat then became an understudy to Colin Dunne before taking over from him as lead dancer. In total, Pat spent over seven years touring with Riverdance, mostly in the US.
"I suppose that generation of dancers were really lucky that Riverdance came along for us, because it gave us the first professional outlet to continue dancing and continue dancing at a very high, high level," he says.
His children were taught Irish dancing by Niamh Roddy-Murphy at St Patrick's GAA hall in Lordship, Co Louth. As a former world champion after winning the competition in 1993, Niamh says that it takes focus, determination and many hours of practice to become a world champion dancer.
After teaching Daragh Irish dancing from the beginning, she says that she will never forget when he won the world championship in Montreal last month.
"As a teacher, it was very, very special for myself and my mam, who are here every week, and taking them through their paces," Niamh says.
"And just to see him get to that stage, that he has achieved this dream and that he has reached his potential. It's fantastic."
Daragh says that he was driven to compete in the world championship after realising the standard that was required. A standard which also saw him meet success at the All Ireland Irish Dancing Championships in Killarney earlier this year, a competition also won by his father, aunt and grandfather.
"When I realised that winning the World Championships was such a big deal, and when I danced my first Ulster [competition] and seeing the standard of my own competition, it made me wonder what was the standard of the world competition and that drove me then.
"I've had that drive to go for it and to be the best I can be."
He says that winning in Montreal was a shock and credits the advice and guidance he received from Niamh and his family as one of the reasons behind his success.
A success that Tony says is of great pride for the Roddy family.
"They won world championships, both Pat and Niamh and now the fact that Daragh has won it is just a fabulous feeling," he says.
"It's great sense of pride you know, through the dancing. It's not everybody's field, but it's our field."
