Young Irish dancing stars from Pembrokeshire have stepped their way to victory once more in the Emerald Isle - led by 17-year-old Sam Davies, who has brought one of the top titles of the 2006 CRN Irish Open Championships home to Wales. Greenhill School student Sam claimed the Under 17 boys' championship in the recent event in Dublin, to confirm his position as one of the leading dancers within the international dance organisation CRN (Cumann Rince Naisiunta). Next year, he has been invited to perform with other CRN champion dancers during the organisation's 25th anniversary celebrations, and will be taking part in a routine choreographed by Damian Doherty, who is currently dance captain and Michael Flatley's understudy in the Celtic Tiger show. Sam was amongst nearly 30 pupils of the Hynes School of Irish Dance who attended the Irish Open, which welcomed around 1,000 dancers from Ireland, England, Wales, Holland and the USA who qualified in regional competitions. There was also a notable success for 14-year-old Carly Davies, who travels to Saundersfoot each week for lessons from her home in Port Talbot. She won the Maengrad Under 15 award against one of the strongest fields of competition in the entire championships. Sam and Carly's victories saw their teacher, 19- year-old Jenny Hynes, pick up two gold medals - undoubtedly the first of many she will collect in her Irish dance teaching career. There were also a number of other award placings achieved by: Katie Harries (fourth, Maengrad under 15), Cheryl John (fifth, Ullmhuchun under 18), Molly Lewis (sixth, Maengrad under 13), Martha O'Neill (sixth, Ullmhuchun under 13), Siobhan O'Sullivan and Sam Davies (sixth, two-hand under 18), Rebecca Hills (seventh, Bungrad over 14), Caitlin Thompson (10th, Bungrad under 10) and Ben Turner (11th, Bungrad under 10). This was the first-ever Irish Open for Caitlin and Ben, and to achieve award medals in the contest's largest class, against over 90 contestants, showed the high standard of their dancing. Medals in the feis, held before the championships, were won by Siriol Jenkins, Kira Hardy, Hannah Lloyd, Molly Lewis, Katie Harries, Siobhan O'Sullivan, Carly Davies and Sam Davies, while also dancing in the awards after qualifying were Jenny Hynes, Tess Burke, Lizzie John, Alice Davies, Shannon Robins, Emily Lloyd, Hannah Saunders, Naomi Hunt, Danielle Turner, Jack Walker, Sinead Walker, Zoe Moran, Tess Moran, Gabrielle Coates, Rebecca James, Caitlin Cumberland and Maisie John.
