By Amy Campbell EchoLive.ie
Dance students from the Mayfield-based ELJ Academy of Dance took home several prizes recently at the 2025 World Freestyle Dance Championships.
The annual dance competition was held in the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, England, on June 27, 28, and 29.
It saw thousands of children from all over the world competing in a range of categories. The local dance school performed incredibly well across a range of different categories, with competitors of all ages, male and female, travelling to England for the event.
Dance teachers and business owners Eric Whelan and Emma Louise Jupp told The Echo: “We actually ended up with 19 finalists over the weekend, with five wins.”
Gabriella Coughlan won the under 12 intermediate slow category, Alisha Quinn won the under 8 starter slow contest, Rachel Cuthbert won the under 18 intermediate fast competition, and Ruby Lou Keane won both the under 16 championship fast and under 16 premier championship slow events.
All the girls are trained by Ms Jupp and Mr Whelan, who explained that there was a huge amount of competitors.
“This event was held in the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, UK, and competitors come from all over the world to compete. Most categories have between 50-100 competitors at this event hoping to make the final seven. We are so proud of these children who train four to six times a week at our studio.”
This marked the second year in a row that Ruby Lou Keane won her category. The dance school brought home two world champions from the World Freestyle Championships in 2024 also, with Ms Keane winning the under 16 slow dance solo category, and Abbie O’Sullivan winning the youth solo slow section.
The local dance school offers fun-based dance classes for children aged two years and up, teaching ballet, hip hop, acro, general dance, break dance, freestyle, slow dance, and general dance, as well as special competition and individual classes across multiple age groups.
Their main studio is in Mayfield Industrial Estate, but they offer classes seven days a week across Cork — in Upper Glanmire, Crosshaven, Watergrasshill, Farranree, Lisgoold, Rathcormac, and Ringaskiddy.
They are also running summer camps in Mayfield, a fun summer dance camp, performance camp, and a competition bootcamp.
Anyone interested in joining the school can get in touch with the owners by phone at 086 084 3440, by emailing e.jupp@yahoo.ie, or by following ELJ Academy of Dance on Facebook or Instagram.
Traffic lights installed
New traffic lights are now up and running at Hazelwood Junction, Glanmire.
The works are part of a wider scheme aimed at enhancing the safety of the road network in the area.
Labour councillor for the North East ward John Maher told The Echo: “It’s great to see more progress in the Glanmire area with the installation of the traffic lights at the Hazelwood junction.
“I can appreciate the frustrations with the flood relief works and numerous infrastructure projects that are ongoing in Glanmire, but small improvements like the installation of traffic lights show there is light at the end of the tunnel. I’m hopeful that a lot of heavy lifting can be done in the summer months before the chaos of back to school, college and everyday life resumes in September.”
Reform Pilates to open studio
A new pilates studio is opening in Glanmire, as popular Cork business Reform Pilates is to open an outlet next week.
The team currently has three locations, in Ballintemple, Washington St, and in the Marina Commercial Centre, and the Glanmire centre is set to open on July 14. It offers reformer pilates, mat pilates, barre, and summer sculpt classes.
Reform Pilates offers a diverse range of pilates classes tailored to all ages and fitness levels, led by Sally Walsh.
The team shared: “We’ve been blown away by the interest in our new Glanmire studio opening, thank you all so much!
“We’re excited to officially share that we’ll be opening our doors on July 14. Our timetable has something for everyone, with classes to suit all levels, from beginner courses to improvers and high intensity sessions.
“We’re still putting the finishing touches together, but bookings are now live on the Reform Pilates app.”
‘Summer Reading’ at Mayfield library
Gwen Stockley has been named the first to complete the ‘Summer Reading’ programme at Mayfield Library.
‘Summer Reading’ encourages both devoted and reluctant readers over the school holidays with a series of small incentives rewarded on every three books read.
Gwen attends the library’s junior book club, the Pageturners, who at their June meeting discussed Wonka by Sibéal Pounder. The club will reconvene on September 26 with a Jane Austen special.
Eco-art camp for children
Mayfield Arts Centre will run a free eco-art one day camp on July 10, from 10am to 2pm, for eight to 12-year-olds funded by Our Lady Crowned Church Mayfield Community Chest.
Booking is essential as places are limited. To sign up, you can email admin@mayfieldarts.ie or call 021 4530434.
Mayfield AFC recruiting
Mayfield United AFC’s under 17s youth team are recruiting new players.
Players born in 2009 or 2010 looking to join a fun team environment with FAI-qualified coaches, top club facilities, and an Easter trip to England are invited to sign up.
You can contact the team managers Kenney Purcell at 085 7646585 or Alan Gahan at 087 7552815.
Sports complex anniversary
This year, Mayfield Sports Complex celebrates 50 years. The centre was opened in 1975 as a partnership between Cork City Council (then Cork Corporation) and the Department of Education.
A spokesperson for the complex explained: “With Mayfield being a designated DEIS area, having sports and recreation services is vital for both physical and mental health.”
The complex runs very successful schools swim programs, after school and weekend swimming lessons and adult lessons and is the home of Dolphin Swimming Club.
Their astro pitch is the home ground for many local Cork Business League teams as well as wet-weather pitch for youth sports teams, while other sports such as Mayfield Karate Club and other clubs like kickboxing, tae kwon do, basketball, indoor soccer, and badminton are also based there.
However, the spokesperson said that the building is no longer up to full modern service standards, with issues including roof leaks, outdated electrical and lighting systems, a changing room layout which needs upgrading, and blocking of drains as well as energy efficiency and accessibility issues.
Recently, the facility was named as a recipient of €54,140 from the Community Recognition Fund, for the upgrading of the swimming pool, gym, and changing room facilities, with the spokesperson saying: “While this support is appreciated, it falls significantly short of the scale of investment required to truly modernise the complex.”
Have Mayfield and Glanmire news to share? Contact amy.campbell@theecho.ie