國際愛爾蘭舞蹈協會An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha（簡稱CLRG），最初為1920年代由愛爾蘭蓋爾文聯盟（Conradh na Gaeilge）建立的機構(註1)，目的是審查當時存在的愛爾蘭舞蹈組織，並提出未來發展的建議。

該機構於1927年首次召開會議，並於1930年實際上開始運作。在經過近兩年的審議之後，愛爾蘭蓋爾文聯盟提交了一份報告，指定該機構成為權威性的愛爾蘭舞蹈發展機構。Tomás ó Faircheallaigh持續擔任CLRG的主席約25年直到2004年辭世，他是最後一位草創時期的委員。在當今的愛爾蘭舞蹈世界中，一定很難想像在1930年代是如何推廣的。CLRG最初為了愛爾蘭舞蹈合格教師，建立嚴格標準的評核機制，後來也為合格裁判制定了標準，並出版了一本Céilí舞蹈標準手冊，而後舉辦愛爾蘭舞蹈錦標賽，在當時認知是一個單獨的活動。全愛爾蘭舞蹈錦標賽（Oireachtas Rince na hÉireann）直到今天仍在所有推廣愛爾蘭踢踏舞、Céilí舞和團體舞蹈人士的心中，佔有很重要的地位。許多我們認為理所當然的事情，比如愛爾蘭舞蹈現在在世界上充滿活力的發展盛況，由九個區域委員會負責監督愛爾蘭、英國以及其他地區的組織，像是北美的I.D.T.A.N.A.、歐洲大陸/亞洲的R.C.C.E.A.、澳大利亞的A.I.D.A.和紐西蘭的T.I.D.A.N.Z. 等所進行推動的愛爾蘭舞蹈活動，這些都要感謝CLRG草創時期成員的深謀遠慮和奉獻。

CLRG的影響持續蔓延到世界五大洲，現在有很多愛爾蘭舞蹈活躍的合格教師，不僅在傳統的愛爾蘭僑民定居的國家，英國，北美和澳大利亞，也遍及歐洲大陸，非洲南部和遠在南美洲及亞洲。

1970年世界盃愛爾蘭舞蹈錦標賽（Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne）在都柏林Parnell廣場Coláiste Mhuire的小劇場舉辦，毫無疑問是CLRG成立以來，為愛爾蘭舞蹈發展建立最重要的里程碑。看看世界盃愛爾蘭舞蹈錦標賽對於媒體吸引力的規模，就可以看到傳統愛爾蘭舞蹈對在世界舞台的影響力有多巨大。毫無疑問，如果不是因為1960年代CLRG成員的創新和勇敢，做出舉辦世界盃愛爾蘭舞蹈錦標賽和當時整個資格賽事的重大決定，我們可能永遠也看不到愛爾蘭舞蹈在世界各地的快速發展。

在1994年的歐洲歌唱大賽之後，愛爾蘭舞蹈吸引了廣大觀眾的興趣，也就是Riverdance第一次的出現，一直到現在，愛爾蘭舞蹈已經被世界各國沒有愛爾蘭血統的人們練習著。這個重大事件發生在世界盃在都柏林Burlington酒店慶祝25週年紀念活動僅兩週之後。隨後的“大河之舞”（Riverdance-the-Show）取得了輝煌的成功，1996年麥可弗萊利（Michael Flatley）的舞王（Lord of the Dance）更是風靡全球，DVD的銷量屢創紀錄。將愛爾蘭舞蹈帶到了一個前所未有的境界。如今，愛爾蘭舞蹈在全球各地都有學習需求。

2000年世界盃首次移往愛爾蘭以外的國家，由英國貝爾法斯特舉辦，2010年世界盃慶祝40周年，第三次於英國格拉斯哥舉辦，2013年在美國波士頓舉辦，2014年在英國倫敦，2015加拿大蒙特婁，2016英國格拉斯哥，2017愛爾蘭都柏林，2018英國格拉斯哥。

註1: 愛爾蘭蓋爾文聯盟（Conradh na Gaeilge）為推動愛爾蘭文化、音樂、舞蹈和語言保育傳承非常重要的組織，由愛爾蘭共和國獨立後第一任總統德格拉斯·海德（Dubhghlas de hÍde）於1893年所創立

An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha was established by Conradh na Gaeilge – The Gaelic League – in the late nineteen-twenties as a commission for the purpose of examining the organisation of Irish dancing as it existed at that time and to make recommendations as to how it might be better organised in the future.

The body first met in 1927 as a Commission of Enquiry and in 1930 actually met as an authority with the mandate to implement its own recommendations. Having produced a report after almost two years of deliberations Conradh na Gaeilge appointed that same body of people as an authority with a mandate to set about implementing it's recommendations. Tomás ó Faircheallaigh, who was President of An Coimisiún for some 25 years up to his death in 2004, was the last surviving member of that original commission. In the today’s world of Irish Dancing, it is hard to imagine what it must have been like in the nineteen-thirties. It was An Coimisiún which first established a standard for teachers, and later for adjudicators, of Irish dancing, published a handbook of Céilí dances, and established Oireachtas an Rince, as it was then known, as a separate event. The All Ireland Irish Dancing Championships continue to occupy a special place in the hearts of all those involved in the promotion of our Irish Step dancing, Ceili and Figure Dancing. So many of the things we take for granted, like the international dimension of Irish Dancing, with nine Regional Councils overseeing a vibrant Irish dancing scene in Ireland and Britain and organisations such as the I.D.T.A.N.A. in North America, R.C.C.E.A. in Mainland Europe/Aisa, A.I.D.A. in Australia and T.I.D.A.N.Z. in New Zealand carrying on the work of promoting Irish Dancing, could not have happened without the forethought and dedication of those early pioneering members of An Coimisiun le Rinci Gaelacha.

The influence of An Coimisiún continues to spread throughout all five continents, and we now have active teachers of Irish Dancing not only in countries where the traditional Irish diaspora settled, Great Britain, North America, and Australasia, but also throughout continental Europe, in South Africa and as far away as South America and Asia.

There can be no doubt that the establishment of Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne, the World Irish Dancing Championships, in 1970 was the most important development in Irish Dancing of the eighty-five years since the founding of An Coimisiún.

From humble beginnings in the tiny theatre of Coláiste Mhuire in Parnell Square in Dublin in 1970, it has grown into an international event of immense proportions with a standing undreamt of back in the thirties. One has only to look to the huge media interest in Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne to see the influence it has had in placing our magnificent Irish Dancing tradition on the world stage. There can be no doubt but that, were it not for the innovative and courageous decision of the members of An Coimisiun in the late nineteen sixties, when the momentous decision to create a World Irish Dancing Championship event, and to stage qualifying events throughout the then catchment area of An Coimisiun, we might never have seen the enormous expansion in interest in Irish Dancing around the World.

The explosion in interest in Irish Dancing which took place following the Eurovision Song Contest of 1994, which gave us the brand Riverdance for the very first time, saw Irish Dancing now being practised by people with little or no connection with Ireland. This momentous event took place just two weeks after Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne had celebrated its 25th annivarsary in the Burlington Hotel in Dublin. The runaway success of the subsequent Riverdance-the-Show followed by the phenomenal success of Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance in 1996 placed Irish Dancing in a place it had never been before. By now Irish Dance was in demand all around the globe.

Belfast 2000 saw another first for An Coimisiún, when the flagship event moved outside the Republic of Ireland for the first time. Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2010 with its third visit to Glasgow. The United States of America in 2013, this time in Boston MA, 2014 saw the event successfully staged for the first time in London, while Montreal, Canada hosted the Championships in 2015. All roads will lead us back to Glasgow in 2016. Dublin in 2017. Glasgow in 2018.

1930年愛爾蘭舞蹈比賽在都柏林

1930 irish dance competition in Dublin

1994年珍巴特勒與麥可弗萊利

在歐洲歌唱大賽中場演出

Jean Butler and Michael Flatley at the Eurovision Song Contest of 1994

2016世界盃愛爾蘭舞蹈錦標賽在格拉斯哥

2016 the World Irish Dancing Championships in Glasgow

CLRG官方網站：www.clrg.ie