I retired after 35 years from the United States Foreign Service, being on the permanent logistical support team for The White House Communications Agency and all Security Agencies of the US Government which included the FBI, US Secret Service and DEA, providing support to Presidential, Vice Presidential and Secretary of State and VIP visits to Ireland. Some of the highlights were, being a personal assistant to Governor Reagan in his visit to Ireland as Governor of California and later, on his visit to Ireland as President, being a member of the logistical support team to the Secret Service and White House Communications Agency, and also, being an adviser on President Clinton's visit to Ireland. It was a unique experience accompanying the Astronauts of Apollo 13 on their lecture tour of Ireland, and also, at another time, shortly after the first Moon landing, taking and displaying a moon rock at centres around Ireland. In 1974 I was granted US Citizenship via a GI Bill, being a Vietnam Vet.

My Irish Dancing journey began when I was twelve or thirteen, (late starter). Ms Margaret Kane, RIP, Dublin was my teacher and guided me to All Ireland, Leinster and Dublin titles.

I immigrated to the US where shortly after, I met Una and Jack Ellis, Peter Smith, Joan Cass, and her late brothers, Peter and Cyril McNiff. Una invited me to teach with her, and I also attended teachers' meetings on a regular basis, and Una Ellis was secretary at those meetings, and those same teachers went on to form what is now the North American Irish Dance Teachers' Association, IDTANA. Una and I taught together in New Jersey until Uncle Sam so kindly invited me to join his army. I returned to Ireland and joined An Comhdháil in the late Sixties, where I was PRO for fifteen years. I was accepted to An Coimisiún in 1999, and have been privileged to adjudicate in Canada, United States, England, Scotland and Ireland. I wish all competitors and teachers every success, and a very special word of encouragement to non qualifiers, with a little more practise and effort, you could be a World Qualifier in 2010, make that your goal today, and remember it is not “Practise makes Perfect “ it is “Perfect practise makes Perfect”.