Ella McCarthy loses High Court bid over dancing competition rule

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Ella McCarthy lost her High Court injunction bid over an Irish dancing competition restriction. The proceedings were reported on 8 November 2017. The order would have allowed her to enter a world championship qualifier in Southern England.

The High Court heard that, through no fault of her own, Ella was unable to enter competitions for six months under the governing body’s rules because she had to switch dancing teachers. An Coimisiun Le Rinci Gaelacha (CLRG) argued that the six-month period was not imposed as a disciplinary measure.

Mr Justice Tony O’Connor ruled that Ella’s legal arguments were not strong enough to justify an injunction before a full hearing. The court also awarded legal costs to the CLRG, but stayed that order for two years.