The Sacred Dance of The Irish Circus

A visual history of the Traveling circuses and shows that traveled the roads of Ireland between the 1920s and the arrival of television in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Professor OhAodha (pron: Oh-Hay) estimates there were more than 140 of these shows including circus shows, magic shows, revues, “fit-ups” traveling theatres who traveled Ireland during the period – and the 1940s was their zenith – partly because many performers from other countries (especially via Britain) moved to Ireland to avoid persecution (this includes continental showmen as well as Jews and Roma trying to scratch a living as roaming entertainers and performers). Because of the Emergency in Eire (1939-1945) these groups remained independent of the commercialization of the music halls, theatres and cinemas in Britain and the “end-of-pier” traditions since many newer forms of entertainment and communication were hindered by wartime isolation,poverty and lack of new product ---especially Hollywood and British films