The crossroads dance was a type of social event popular in Ireland up to the mid-20th century, in which people would congregate at the large cleared space of a crossroads to dance. In contrast to the later ceili styles, crossroad dances were generally set dancing or solo dancing. The crossroads dance declined in popularity in the mid-20th century, due to rural depopulation, musical recordings, and pressure of the Catholic clergy which resulted in the Public Dance Halls Act of 1935 which restricted all dancing to licensed establishments. In the early 1930s the wooden platforms at crossroads became the focus of standoffs and faction fights between

Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil (, ; meaning 'Soldiers of Destiny' or 'Warriors of Fál'), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party ( ga, audio=ga-Fianna Fáil.ogg, Fianna Fáil – An Páirtí Poblachtánach), is a conservative and Christia ...

and the

Blueshirts The Army Comrades Association (ACA), later the National Guard, then Young Ireland and finally League of Youth, but best known by the nickname the Blueshirts ( ga, Na Léinte Gorma), was a paramilitary organisation in the Irish Free State, founded ...

, with some destroyed by arson. The phrase "comely maidens dancing at the crossroads", a misquotation attributed to Éamon De Valera's 1943 Patrick's Day radio broadcast, has become shorthand for a maudlin yearning for a vanished Irish rural idyll. The name of

John Waters John Samuel Waters Jr. (born April 22, 1946) is an American filmmaker, writer, actor, and artist. He rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films, including '' Multiple Maniacs'' (1970), '' Pink Flamingos'' (1972) and '' Fe ...

' 1991 memoir ''Jiving at the Crossroads'' was a metaphor for

's continuing cultural relevance in rural Ireland, with Irish dance replaced by jive. The 1996 Irish chart-topping song "Dancing at the Crossroads" anticipated

Wexford Wexford () is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. Wexford lies on the south side of Wexford Harbour, the estuary of the River Slaney near the southeastern corner of the island of Ireland. The town is linked to Dublin by the M11/N11 ...

's victory in that year's All-Ireland hurling final. There have been some revivals, such as an annual event at

Effrinagh Effrinagh (in ga, Ifreannach) is a townland in County Leitrim. Effrinagh is a place about five miles east of Carrick on Shannon. It remains a quiet place in spite of its proximity to the bustle and hustle of Carrick. It is dotted with lakes ...

, Co. Leitrim.

References

Irish dance {{dance-stub