Sri Lankan Romola Sebastianpillai nurtures Irish culture in Darwin-By Conor Byrne

Some of the teachers at Rince na hÉireann Darwin Irish Dance Association’s leprechauns class started this young.(ABC Radio Darwin: Conor Byrne)

Source:ABC

Irish dancing evokes a stereotype of ginger hair, fair freckled skin, and strong Gaelic heritage, but not in one of Darwin’s Irish dancing schools where Sri Lankan migrant Romola Sebastianpillai has been the matriarch for 14 years.

This, in a small city of three Irish dance schools, and where 7.3 per cent of people claimed Irish ancestry in the 2016 ABS census — the third highest after Australian and English ancestry.

She was elected unanimously in absentia when Rince na hÉireann changed from a private school to an association.

“I think I was elected because I was maybe non-Irish,” the 75-year-old president said.

“I got the shock of my life.”

Her love of Irish dancing started as a girl in a boarding school in Columbo when she was selected to ‘do the jig’ on St Patrick’s Day.

“It was run by Irish nuns and they were really great,” she said.

“They gave us a great grounding for life.

“I hated going away from home but I liked the convent.”

Dedicated to others

Volunteering at the dance school has been a large part of Romola’s life — between running a committee, spending her weekends ensuring the classes run smoothly, managing 62 dancers, and dealing with enquiries.

“I love to see the children dance and I have made great friends,” she said.

“I never wanted to be, I never even thought that I’d be, the president. But I have been for 14 years and I just love it.

“It means a lot to me. It has given me a new dimension in life, that I can do anything I want.”

The exposure to some enthusiastic dancing nuns has ensured the next generation of Irish dancers in Darwin has a place to ‘ceili’.

“The Irish are very, very happy people and they’ll accept anybody who’s willing to put in the hard yards and who’s willing to take on hurdles,” she said.