A local jive enthusiast has scooped the top prize at the 2016 National Jiving Championships in County Mayo.


Ederney student Sara-Louise Montague and her partner Eden Friel from Donegal took the top spot, with their friends Dale Robinson from Irvinestown and his partner Jemma Walker from Drumquin coming a close second.


The annual event in the McWilliam Hotel, Claremorris, County Mayo attracts a very high calibre of dancers from across the island of Ireland but it was the Fermanagh jivers who took the top spots.


Sara-Louise (20) and Eden - who have been more than just dance partners since they met at a Lee Matthews country night in The Westville Hotel two years ago - can now look forward to their prize. They have won two tickets to Carter on the Costa, six nights in Benalmadena, Spain with Nathan Carter and guests Lisa McHugh, Philomena Begley, Johnny Brady, John Farry, Conal Gallen, Shane Owens, Stuart Moyles, Cliona Hagan, Brandon McPhee and Gerry Gutherie.
“I can’t wait,” said Sara-Louise, a student of Early Childhood Studies in South West College, Omagh. “I’m very excited. It was great to win the competition.”


This is not the first taste of success for the talented pair. During the filming of RTÉ’s Stetsons and Stilettos programme last summer, they came first in the jive competition that took place in Monaghan town.


“That was a great experience,” Sara-Louise continued. Although there is some fun rivalry between the friends, she explained: “We are all friendly. We would go to dances together almost every weekend in Donegal, Enniskillen, Bundoran, Omagh. It’s not expensive when you compare what you would be spending if you get a taxi to a club. I usually drive and many of my friends don’t drink; it’s all about the dancing.”


Sara-Louise recognises that “jiving has really taken off in the past year”. She said: “I think new singers such as Lisa McHugh and Derek Ryan are getting more people interested.” Her advice to budding jivers is: “Get at it! It’s great exercise and great fun. You meet lots of people at the dances. The more new moves you can throw in there the better.”