Meet the Dancers (8): Sandy and Robbie …
Straight-talking lawyer, Sandy Ni Dálaigh is the owner-director of the legal audit firm Compliance Check Ireland and is a trustee of Right2Homes and takes particular pleasure in helping those who need it most. Right2Homes is non-profit organisation that supports Irish Families struggling to maintain a principal dwelling house or family home in the face of formidable difficulties arising from sustained pressure from financial institutions regarding mortgage arrears. Dublin-native, Sandy is game for a laugh and is always happy to be among the public and taking part in community events. Sandy is a former two-time Irish dancing champion and is a woman on a mission with a title to defend. In 2016, Sandy was the winner of Mullingar RFC’s Strictly Scrum Dancing and she is intent on completing the double.
Dapper-dresser Robbie Harrison is a native of Menlough, County Galway and will be making his stage debut when he dances American Smooth with Sandy to the music of Ain’t That a Kick in the Head. Robbie has been involved in the Mullingar Variety Group as a scenic artist and back-stage crew-man but all this work was off-spotlight. Robbie has been associated with Mullingar Shamrocks for many years in an administrative capacity and in a coaching role. He was part of a successful management team that oversaw the capture of Under-14 A and Under-16 A championship titles for the club in 2008 and 2010. A key member of those two successful teams was fellow Strictly Shamrocks contestant Killian Daly.
Robbie was also heavily involved in An Garda Síochana Gaelic Football Club and through his involvement was awarded the N.Y. P. D. GAA Club’s Heritage Award in 2014, being only the second Irishman to receive this distinction.
The choice of American Smooth is an appropriate one for this dancing couple as Sandy’s business requires her to make regular trips to New York whilst Robbie apart from his recognition by the NYPD was involved in the security detail for USA President’s Bill Clinton and Barack Obama on their visits to Ireland. Saturday, May 12 has the making of a memorable stage performance for Sandy and Robbie.
